The Price of Love
by CrueFan21
Summary: When Anna and Elsa find a map to the long lost Arendelle treasure that their father told them about as kids, they set out on a quest to find it. Along the way, they'll encounter many obstacles that will test their physical limits, their determination, and ultimately what they're willing to do to keep each other safe.
1. Chapter 1

The Price of Love

Chapter 1:

The Treasure of King Nicholas

* * *

One afternoon, Anna and Elsa spent their time together looking through old books in the library. Anna had never been a big reader, but after the Great Thaw, Elsa turned her onto it by introducing her to many wonderful novels like Oliver Twist, Robinson Crusoe, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Every Friday afternoon, the two went to the library together, and read novels. However, today they decided to look through some non-fiction books instead. Elsa flipped through one of the many volumes on the history of Arendelle. When she and Anna were kids, their father would often tell them about their family history. She and Anna were always in awe about the kings and queens that have come and gone; their policies as well as the wars they partook in. There was one story that they enjoyed more than others. The story of the long lost Arendelle treasure. As Elsa flipped to the next chapter in her book, she came upon the chapter about the treasure.

"Wow! Do you remember dad telling us about the lost treasure of King Nicolas?" Elsa asked.

Anna's eyes lit up. "I loved that story! I haven't heard it in years though!"

"Would you like me to read it to you?" Elsa offered.

"I'd love that!"

Elsa cleared her throat, and began to read.

"During the reign of King Nicholas, there was a war between Arendelle and the kingdom of Labraza. The war broke out over a land dispute. There was an island in between Arendelle in Labraza. Both kingdoms wanted the island for agriculture, but each kingdom thought that they alone were entitled to it. For the next five years, they fought each other for rights to the island. During this time, King Nicholas was in possession of a large fortune, which he kept locked away in his vault. Eventually, the war came to the kingdom of Arendelle, and Nicholas feared that the Labraza soldiers might steal it. One night, he and a few of his most trusted men set off to hide the treasure at some unknown location. When the war was over, King Nicholas caught pneumonia, and died soon after. Before he passed, he made his men swear never to reveal where he hid the treasure. The men promised; they were loyal to their king, and wouldn't dare cross him. Over the years, many have searched for the treasure. Some believe that Nicholas left clues behind to find it, but no such clue has ever been found, and the treasure remains undiscovered."

"Wow! How neat would it be if we were to find the long lost treasure of King Nicholas?" Anna asked.

"It would be neat, but it's highly unlikely. People have been searching for centuries, and no one has found a trace of it. Besides, we don't even know where to start. I don't think he left any clues to where it's hidden."

"Don't you think that's strange?" Anna asked. "I mean, technically it's our treasure. It belongs to the royal family of Arendelle. Surely, he would have to let us know somehow. Didn't he tell his children?"

Elsa shook her head. "Nope. When Nicholas died, he took all his secrets to his grave; including the location of the treasure."

"That's a shame. I'd love to be the one to find it," Anna said.

Elsa smiled. "Well, you never know, Anna. Maybe one day you will."

Anna sat up, and looked out the window. She could see Kristoff and Sven entering the courtyard.  
"Kristoff is back!" Anna cried. "I'm going to go greet him!"

Before Elsa could reply, the princess raced out of the library, leaving Elsa to put away the books that they had been looking at. Before leaving, Elsa took one last look at the chapter about the Arendelle treasure. She glanced at an illustration of King Nicholas; admiring his resemblance to her father. Anna was right; the treasure did belong to them. If anyone should have it, then it should be them. But if no one had found it by now, then no one ever would. It would remain a mystery forever. Placing the book back onto the shelf, Elsa closed the door to the library, and went down to the courtyard to meet up with Anna and Kristoff.

When Elsa arrived at the courtyard, she saw Anna and Olaf surrounding Kristoff, listening to him talk about his day. The ice harvester recounted how after work he paid a visit to his family of trolls. He hadn't seen them in a while; so a visit was long overdue. Elsa admired Kristoff. He was a good man; a hard worker, and he cared a lot for Anna. She could see how happy he made her, and for that she was forever grateful. Anna deserved all the happiness in the world after all that she'd been through. They both did.

Upon seeing Elsa, Olaf ran over to greet her. "Elsa! Elsa! Kristoff is back!" he said.

Elsa smiled. "I see. How are you, Kristoff?"

"Pretty good. It was an eventful day. I got a lot done though," he said, gesturing to a large collection of blocks of ice on his sled.

"Nicely done. It seems like my decision to make you the Royal Ice Harvester and Deliverer was a good one."

Kristoff smiled. "Well, I just love ice," he said modestly.

"Oh, I know," she said. Elsa recalled the very first conversation she had with Kristoff. The man couldn't stop talking about how amazing her ice palace was. He even went as far as to say it was the greatest thing he'd ever seen.

"How about we go inside?" Elsa suggested. "Dinner should be ready soon."

After dinner, the four of them went into the parlor, and talked together. It was a ritual they did every day. It was a great way for them to catch up as well as to talk about what they should do during the upcoming weekend. Kristoff suggested that they go sailing on the water, Olaf wanted to go see the trolls again, while Anna suggested that they have a picnic in the meadows down by the forest.

"I love picnics! It's so pretty there too," she said.

"You know, I don't think I've ever told you about this, but there's a log cabin in the woods somewhere that we used to go to when we were kids," Elsa said. "There's even a lake nearby."

Anna's eyes widened. "You're right! I almost forgot about that! We haven't been there in years!"

"What do you say tomorrow we go on out to the meadows and have a picnic, and afterward we spend the rest of the weekend at the cabin?" Elsa suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea. We even practice shooting my rifle if you like," Kristoff offered.

"Kristoff, I've never fired a gun in my life," Anna said.  
"Same with me. Besides, I don't think I'd need one to begin with. I have my powers to defend myself," Elsa said, twirling a ball of snow in her hand.

"That's true. But it's always good to know how. Not just for defending yourself, but for hunting as well. If we go out I could even hunt us something to eat. I'll even bring my bow and arrow as well. You might prefer that to the rifle."

"Could we go fishing? I love to fish," Anna said.

"Of course. I've got two poles. We can keep whatever we catch."

"Well, it sounds like we have a plan together," Elsa said. "First thing tomorrow morning we'll take the horses, and Sven out the cabin. Hopefully I still remember where it is."

"Great! Maybe we can go look for buried treasure as well!" Anna cried.

Elsa laughed. "Anna, you're not going to find it."

"It couldn't hurt to try! Maybe he hid it nearby!"

"What are you talking about?" Kristoff asked.

"Anna, wants to find the long lost treasure of King Nicholas of Arendelle." Elsa explained the story to Kristoff, who seemed very interested in what he heard.

"That certainly would be the discovery of a lifetime," he admitted. "So where would we start digging?"

"We don't even know if he buried it in the ground," Elsa said. "He gave no indication whatsoever as to where it is. No clues, no messages, nothing. He never wanted the treasure to found so he made sure that no one would ever find it."

"Wouldn't you two be entitled to it, though? You are descendants of King Nicholas," Kristoff pointed out.

"We would be, yes. But like I said, we have no idea where to start looking. It would literally be like looking for a needle in a haystack," Elsa said.

"Still, it sure would be neat to find the treasure. We would make history!" Anna said.

"True. But are things worth more than treasure," Elsa said, pulling Anna in for a hug.

"Well, it's late. We should get to bed. It's going to be a fun day tomorrow!" Elsa said.

Anna and Elsa hugged each other, said goodnight, and went off to bed. Before she fell asleep, Anna went to the library, and picked up the book that talked about King Nicholas's treasure. "Wouldn't it be something to find it," she said to herself. Anna pictured her and Elsa on a treasure hunt, looking for clues, and making history together. Not only would it be exciting, it would bring them even closer!

Since the Great Thaw, Elsa had been doing everything in her power to make up for the thirteen years of shutting her out. Truthfully, Anna wasn't mad at Elsa for doing this. She often reminded her that all that was in the past; all that mattered was that they were together again, and that was true. Anna glanced over the words in the book _"No trace of the treasure has ever been found."_ Elsa was right that there were things worth more than treasure, but just to be able to do something adventurous like this with her sister would be incredible. Anna went back to room, and climbed under the covers; already excited for the day tomorrow.

* * *

 **A/N: What do you think? If you like it please leave a review and let me know. I don't want to continue this if nobody thinks it's good. This will be a story that focuses on Anna and Elsa's relationship, and it will also be an action/adventure story. Hans will also play a role as well. Hope you're enjoying so far!**


	2. The Map

Chapter 2

The Map

* * *

When they arrived at the meadows early the next morning, Anna was the first to exit the sleigh. She took the blanket, and the picnic basket, and began to set up.

"I'm so hungry! I could eat all the food in this basket," she said.

"Well, at least save some for us, please," Elsa said, taking a seat on the blanket.

Olaf saw a butterfly fly by, and it immediately caught his attention. "Come back little guy! Join us for our picnic!" The snowman chased after the butterfly, darting in whichever direction the insect flew.

"I think that's going to keep him busy for a while," Kristoff said, smiling. "Let's eat."

Elsa pulled one of the waterskins out of the basket, and handed it to Anna. "Drink up. You're going to need it on a hot day like today.

Anna took a sip, but made a face because the water tasted tepid. "It could use some ice," she said.

Elsa took the waterskin from Anna, cupped her hands around it, and let a light film of frost coat it before returning it to Anna.

"That's so much better," Anna said, after taking a big gulp. "Thank you, Elsa."

"You're welcome. I could do the same for you if you like, Kristoff," Elsa offered.

"That would be great," Kristoff said, handing his waterskin to Elsa; allowing her to repeat the process of cooling his drink.

Kristoff took a big sip, and smiled. "That hits the spot. Thanks."

"My pleasure," Elsa said. "Now let's eat."

* * *

After eating, the gang ventured into the forest nearby. Elsa was determined to show Anna the cabin that they had stayed at when they were children, provided she remembered where it was. Elsa instructed Kristoff to lead Sven down a narrow path that led to the right. It was cool in the shade cast by the branches above them. Anna could tell that the path wasn't used very often due to the overgrown vegetation surrounding them. As they traveled further down the path, the more they were surrounded by trees.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" Anna asked.

"I'm pretty sure. It's starting to come back to me now," Elsa answered. A few minutes later, the forest thinned out, revealing a large lake in front of them. To their left, nestled on the edge of the woods was a wooden cabin. Once they parked the sleigh in front of the cabin, Anna wandered around the area for a few minutes. Slowly the memory of this place returned to her. She remembered going swimming here as a child. Anna walked down the pier until she reached the edge. Looking down, she saw her reflection in the water; clear as day. Elsa came and stood beside her.

"Remember now?" she asked.

Anna smiled. "Oh, yes. I remember papa and I sitting here fishing together. I remember once we caught a catfish so big, we both had to reel it in.

Anna suddenly got an idea. "Hey, Elsa! Let's go fishing!" Kristoff brought his poles and everything."

"Anna, I've never been fishing before. I never even went with papa. I don't know how."

"It's easy, Elsa. Come on, I'll show you."

Anna retrieved the two poles from the sled, and went back to the edge of the pier. Meanwhile, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven went for a walk in the woods.

"Ok. Now watch what I do," Anna said. She took a piece of bread from her pocket, broke off a slice, and attached it to the fishing lure. She then cast it out into the center of the lake, reeling it in ever so slightly.

Elsa repeated the process; smiling when she saw her lure land right beside Anna's.

"I did it! Now what?" she asked.

"Now we wait until a fish comes along, and takes the bait," Anna explained.

Twenty minutes passed, and still there were no takers. "Nothing's happening, Anna," Elsa said, sounding worried.

"You got to be patient, silly. The fish don't always come right away," Anna said.

A few more minutes rolled by; causing Elsa to grow more anxious. She wanted something to happen. She wanted to catch a fish!

Suddenly, she saw ripples in the water around the end of her line. Elsa felt a tug on her rod; causing her to stumble forward a bit. "I think I got something!" she cried.

"Quick! Reel it in before it gets away!" Anna cried.

Elsa started to reel the line back as fast as she could. The Snow Queen was surprised at how strong whatever was pulling back on the line. The lure was coming closer, and closer towards the edge. As it got closer, Elsa could feel just how heavy the fish was that she had snagged. "Anna, I might need some help here," Elsa said.

Anna stood behind Elsa, and wrapped her hands around the fishing rod. Together they pulled, bringing up a nice largemouth bass in front of them.

"Wow! That thing is huge!" Anna cried.

"I'll say," Elsa agreed. She took the line that held the fish, and brought it over to the pier. "Now I guess we got to get the hook out?" she guessed.

"Yep. I'll do that for you," Anna said, taking the fish from Elsa's hands.

"Yuck. That thing is all wet and slimy," Elsa said, wiping her hands on her dress.

Anna laughed. "Welcome to nature."

Anna removed the hook from the fish's mouth. She then brought the fish back to the cabin where she saw Kristoff and Olaf building a fire. Kristoff had brought his axe with him from home, and had cut several large pieces of wood to use. In addition, he bought a box of friction matches along so that they could easily start a fire. Upon seeing the fish Elsa had caught, his eyes lit up with delight.

"Nice catch! I know what we're eating tonight!" he said.

"Elsa caught it. This was her first time fishing too," Anna said.

"Well, hand it to me, and I'll prepare it for cooking," Kristoff said, reaching out to take the largemouth bass from Anna.

"Let's go inside the cabin," Elsa said. "I wonder how it looks after all these years."

"Probably dirty as can be if no one has been taking care of it," Anna said.

"Actually, the servants come here from time to time to make sure the place is clean," Elsa explained. "You might not have known this, but this cabin in very, very old. It goes back over a hundred years. Over the years, the kings and queens that have come and gone have used it as a vacation house. They've renovated the cabin as well to make sure that it's still structurally stable, and appealing."

"Well, that's good to know. I wouldn't want to sleep in some musty old cabin," Anna said.

Elsa unlocked the door with a key, which she kept in the pocket of her dress. Together, they stepped inside the building that they hadn't been to since they were children. Inside the cabin, the walls were unadorned; there were two doors on the right wall, and a single one on the left, which were the only features other than the windows. The room that they were standing in was neatly furnished; there was no rug on the wooden floor, but there was a large table with four chairs, a couch, and a small bookcase that didn't contain any books.

"Wow! This is nice!" Anna commented.

"It is! Being in here brings back so many memories," Elsa said, looking at the table in the corner of the room, where she and her family used to have dinner.

The sisters explored the rest of the cabin, and discovered that there were two beds in one room. The beds were clearly meant for children; there was no way they would be able to fit in them now. The only other bed in the cabin was their parent's bed, which was in the main chamber. Anna and Elsa opened the door, and stepped inside. In the center of their parent's old room was a large double bed with a intricately carved headboard.

"This would probably fit the two of us," Elsa said. "But where's Kristoff going to sleep?"

Anna thought about it for a minute. "How about the coach? It's not as comfortable as a bed, but I brought extra blankets and pillows for him. Olaf can even have some too if he likes."

"Sounds like we have a plan," Elsa said.

They spent the next hour unpacking their things, while Kristoff prepared the fish for cooking. When they were finished, Elsa went back outside to see how Olaf and Kristoff were doing. Anna, on the other hand, chose to explore the cabin more. It really was a nice little place. A regular home away from home as one might say. Anna went up to the dresser to take off her earrings for the evening. When she removed the first one, it accidentally slipped out of her hand, and fell through a small hole in the floor.

"Oh come on!" Anna cried. "These are the earnings Kristoff got me for my birthday!"

Anna knelt down on the floor where she saw the earring fall. When she placed a hand on one of the floorboards, she noticed that it was loose.

"I bet I could lift this up," she said. Anna dug her fingernails in around the loose board, and pulled back. Just as she suspected, the floorboard came off. And there lying in plain sight was her earring.

Wow I'm lucky this board was loose, she thought, picking up the earring. But there was more than just her earring lying in the floorboard. Anna could see what looked like a piece of paper buried in the dirt. Carefully she dug around it; revealing that it was indeed a piece of paper. It looked like it had been there for centuries. Anna unfolded the paper; it looked like a map with various locations marked. On the back was some writing. Though the ink had greatly faded over the years, she could still make out what it said.

 _My dearest children,_

 _If you have found this, then you have found the key to finding my riches. I hope you understand why I could not have told you exactly where the treasure is hidden. It is much too risky. After this war with Labraza I can't trust anyone. I want you to have it; you're the rightfully heirs, but I fear that it's too dangerous to tell you face to face or in my will. On this paper is the map, which marks the key locations of clues to the whereabouts of my fortune. However, I do not intend for this to be an easy task. Finding the treasure will be a long, arduous quest; one in which you will be tested in many ways. By completing this quest, you will grow stronger as both leaders, and people. First, you must find the halves of my amulet. I received the amulet long ago during one of my many voyages. One half of the amulet is hidden in the Dover mansion in France; the other half is hidden in the Tower of London. In addition to my map, I leave you with my journal, which contains additional clues to help you find the amulets once you've reached their destination. They are not hidden in plain sight, I assure you. Once you have both halves of the amulet, you'll know where to go to find the treasure. I wish you all good hunting._

 _Your loving father,_

 _King Nicholas of Arendelle_

Anna looked down at her feet. She continued to dig further into the ground, and found a small brown booklet with fragile pages inside. Flipping through the book, she found the same handwriting that was on the back of the map. This was it. This was the map and the journal to finding King Nicholas's lost treasure!

Without wasting a second, Anna ran back outside, heading straight for Elsa.

When Elsa saw the look on her sister's face, she grew alarmed.

"Anna, what is it?" What's the matter?"

"Elsa, I've found the map to King Nicholas's treasure!" Anna cried, showing her sister the map and the journal.

Taking both items in her hands, Elsa stared at them in silence for a few minutes before finally meeting her sister eye to eye.

"I didn't think it even existed!" she confessed.

* * *

 **A/N: Now the treasure hunt can begin! How are you liking the sisterly bonding so far? Anything in particular you'd like to see in the story? Like a topic of conversation for Anna and Elsa to have?**

 **Thank you all for your reviews so far. I'm glad you're liking it.**


	3. Opportunity of the Lifetime

Chapter 3:

Opportunity of a Lifetime

* * *

"This is definitely authentic," Elsa said, examining the map thoroughly. It was a detailed map of Europe, listing all the major towns, cities, kingdoms, and rivers. Due to the many years that had passed, the paper had grown yellow; leaving the writing faded as well.

"This is so exciting!" Anna said. "We're going on a treasure hunt!"

"Hold on, Anna! No one said we're going on a treasure hunt," Elsa said.

"Elsa, we have the map, and King Nicholas's journal! This is the opportunity of a lifetime! We'd be foolish not to do it!"

"Anna, do you how long of a journey this would be? Not to mention dangerous. We'd be going to places we've never been before."

"Worth it if you ask me. We'd get to see new places, plus we'd get to spend time together," Anna said.

Elsa smiled sadly. She knew how much Anna loved spending time with her. And truthfully, Elsa loved it just as much. While it was impressive that they found the objects which led to Nicholas's treasure (A treasure she honestly doubted existed) who knows if they were even capable of finding it?

"If you guys found the treasure what would you do with it?" Olaf asked.

"That's a good question, Olaf. I'd say we should share it with all the citizens of Arendelle, especially those less fortunate than us," Anna said.

"That's so generous, Anna!" Olaf cried. "Could I have some of the treasure too?"

"Of course, Olaf?"

Before Anna could get even more excited, Elsa stepped in.

"Anna, we're not going," Elsa said, firmly.

Anna's eyes widened. "What? What do you mean?"

"Like I said, this would be a very dangerous journey, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Are you serious? You're pulling this again? You're only doing it to protect me? Elsa, I thought I made it clear that you don't have to protect me anymore. I'm capable of taking care of myself. Plus, you can defend us with your powers if we run into any trouble!"

"Anna, I made my decision, and it's final. I'm locking these things up where no one can find them. Let's get off the subject," Elsa said.

Anna opened her mouth to speak, but she knew that it was useless. Elsa's was stubborn, and wouldn't give in. She helped Kristoff bring the rest of the gear into the cabin, and the four of them ate the freshly cooked fish that Elsa had caught.

* * *

Late that night, once everyone was asleep, Anna snuck out of bed to retrieve the map and journal, which Elsa had kept in one of the dressers. Anna took one look at her sleeping sister, and sighed. Sorry, Elsa, but I just can't give up on this opportunity, she thought.

Quietly as she could, Anna packed what little food they brought to the cabin, along with any equipment Kristoff had brought as well. Anna stepped out of the cabin; the air was cool, and the stars were shining bright in the sky. Anna approached Sven, who Kristoff had parked next to the cabin. The reindeer opened his eyes upon seeing Anna.

"Shush, Sven," Anna whispered. "You and I are going on a little adventure together. Kristoff and Elsa can't know about it, OK? Especially Elsa. I know she means well, but there's not need to protect me. Besides, this treasure is rightfully ours. It makes no sense to not recover it. Alright, let's go."

Anna climbed into the sleigh, grabbed the reins, and quietly signaled Sven to move. The reindeer started walking towards the path they took to get to the lake, when a voice sounded behind her.

"A bit late to go for a sleigh ride, isn't it?"

Anna stopped Sven, and turned around. Elsa was standing at the cabin door in her nightgown, and a frown.

"Elsa! What are you doing up?" Anna said, trying to play innocent.

"Anna, you know exactly why I'm here. I'm stopping you from making a huge mistake."

"Mistake?" Anna cried. "Actually, I think I'm correcting a mistake. The mistake being that you refuse to go find this treasure."

Elsa sighed. "Anna, how many times do I have to explain it to you, this is too dangerous. If something were to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself. I almost lost you once before; I'm not going to let it happen again."

Before Anna could argue, she thought of a different way to approach this. Instead of arguing with her sister, she should approach the matter from another angle. Anna got off the sleigh, and walked over to her sister.

"Elsa, you know how much I love you, right?" she said.

"I do, Anna. And you know how much I love you."

"Ever since the Great Thaw, you and I have been doing things I never imagined possible. All the things that we should have done years ago, we're finally doing! Every day with you is an adventure. I learn something new about you all the time; I try new things, and so do you! Remember what you said to me the night that you brought back summer.

Elsa nodded.

"You told me that anything my heart desires, you would make it happen. You said that I've suffered more than enough pain and loneliness, and deserve all the happiness in the world. Since then, you've kept your promise, and I've never been happier in all my life. There are nights when I go to sleep thinking it's all a dream, only to be pleasantly surprised when I wake up that it's not. You're here with me. Just like it should be."

Anna quickly pulled the map out of her pocket. "This is the opportunity of the lifetime. An opportunity to find a treasure that no one else has! To experience journey across the continent to places we've never seen. It would be more than just a treasure hunt; it would be a bonding experience as well! Don't worry about me. Like I said, I can take care of myself. Besides, I'd have you there with me. No one would ever mess with the Snow Queen."

"Life is for the living, Elsa. And you have to live it up," Anna said, holding the map out to her sister.

Elsa took the map from Anna's hands, and ran her fingers gently across it. She recognized several of the major places written on it. If they did this, the two of them would see some truly amazing things along the way. And she had to admit, finding a long lost treasure would be impressive.

Elsa carefully folded the map, and handed it back to Anna. "Well, if we're going to do this, we need to plan it out a little better," she said. "For starters, we need to pack more things. This is going to be a long trip."

Anna let out a cry of delight; wrapping her arms around her sister. "Oh, I love you so much, Elsa!" she said.

Elsa laughed. I love you too, Anna. Now let's go to bed. We can talk more about this in the morning."

After putting Sven and the sleigh back, the sisters crawled into bed together. Truth be told, neither of them could sleep; their thoughts consumed with excitement of their upcoming treasure hunt. Nevertheless, a little doubt still lingered in Elsa's mind. I hope this is worth it, she thought. Taking a look at her little sister beside her, the doubt quickly faded away. For you, Anna, it will be.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews so far! I'm glad you're enjoying it! In addition to this being an action/adventure tale, I'm trying to include as much sisterly fluff as possible. Anna and Elsa's love for each other will be the driving force in this story.**


	4. The Journey Begins

Chapter 4:

The Journey Begins

* * *

In the days following the discovery of the map and journal, Anna and Elsa spent most of their time preparing for their journey. They asked Kristoff if he wanted to accompany them, but the ice harvester declined. He had to work; as the Royal Ice Master and Deliverer, ice wasn't going to harvest and sell itself. Elsa had announced publicly to the entire kingdom of her and Anna's discovery. The lost treasure of King Nicholas was a story that everyone had heard at some point, and Elsa believed they had a right to know about it. With the announcement, many nearby kingdoms soon heard about the discovery. They applauded Anna and Elsa for making history in going to find the treasure.

Some kingdoms donated supplies that the sisters could use on the journey such as fur coats, and food. Since it was going to be a dangerous journey, Kristoff thought that Anna should know how to defend herself in case they ever ran into any trouble. One afternoon, he called her out to the shooting range where he instructed her on how to use a rifle.

"You don't know what you'll find out there," he said, putting black powder into the muzzle of the rifle. "Bandits, wild animals, etc. Since you don't have powers like Elsa, you need to know how to defend yourself."

Anna nodded. Even though she highly doubted they would encounter such things, she agreed that it's better safe than sorry.

"This is a Hawken rifle," he said, handing the rifle to Anna. "It has a firing range of 400 yards, and is widely known for its impeccable accuracy. Hold the rifle up like you're about to fire it. Aim it at those wooden posts there!"

Anna held the rifle up against her shoulder; aiming at the posts.

Kristoff removed a powder flask from his shirt pocket. "In this flask is a thing called black powder. This is your ammunition. To load the weapon you simply pour the powder into the muzzle of the gun like this," he said, demonstrating on his own rifle.

"Once that is done, you pull back on the bolt when you're ready to fire," he said, doing just that. "Aim at your target, and pull the trigger!" Kristoff pulled the trigger, causing the projectile to shoot out from the barrel of the gun. Instantly, the wooden post was destroyed.

"Wow! That thing has some kick!" Anna said.

"Yep. These things will do a lot of damage. Now you try."

Anna mimicked exactly what Kristoff showed her; pouring the black powder into the muzzle of the gun. She then aimed the rifle at the wooden target, and fired.

"Nice shot," Kristoff said.

"Thank you," Anna replied.

"You can take that with you on your journey," he said. "Now let me show you how to use a pistol."

* * *

After learning how to use weapons with Kristoff, Anna went upstairs to find Elsa who was sitting on the bed; looking at a photograph.

"Hey, Elsa! Kristoff just taught me how to shoot a gun!" Anna said, proudly. She was wearing a gun holster with a revolver attached; along with a bandolier.

"That's good, Anna, but I hope you will be careful. Guns are not toys," Elsa instructed.

Anna took a seat beside her sister. "I will. Kristoff thinks that we should be well armed in case we run into any trouble."

Elsa felt her heart sink. She truly hoped that wouldn't happen. As excited as she was about finding King Nicholas's treasure, she knew that there were a lot of bad people in the world out to harm others. On this journey, she vowed to protect Anna no matter what the cost. She was the only biological family member she had left. Without her, she would be alone again. And God forbid that from ever happening.

"What's with the picture?" Anna asked.

Elsa smiled. "I was just packing some more things to take with us, and I was thinking about brining it."

"Really? I don't think we'll need a picture on this trip, Elsa," Anna said, honestly.

"I know. I just want to take it with us. It's the last family photo we ever took together when mama and papa were still alive."

Anna looked at the picture. This was before the accident in the ballroom, before the trolls erased her memory of Elsa's magic, before the thirteen years of separation between the two. In the picture, Anna and Elsa stood together with their arms wrapped around each other smiling. Oh how Elsa treasured those childhood memories with Anna. There were so few, but they were everything to her. During her years of isolation, Elsa often watched Anna play outside from her window. As much as she wanted to join her sister, Elsa believed that it was too risky. But there was no use in dwelling on the past. They were together again; about to set off on a journey to find the long lost treasure of King Nicholas, and Elsa couldn't have been happier.

"Most of the things are already packed in the carriage," Anna said. "Anything else you want to bring I'll be happy to take it down for you."

"Thanks, but I can manage. I only have a few more things to bring."

Anna let out a happy sigh. "This is so exciting. Can I see the map and the journal again? She still hadn't gotten tired of looking through both documents.

"Sure. It's on my nightstand," Elsa said.

Anna retrieved both items. Flipping through the journal she began to read a little more about Nicholas's life.

"This guy was a real ladies man," she said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he talks about several ladies in his life that he was courting at once."

"Well, he had to marry someone so that he could have an heir to the throne," Elsa explained.

"True. Who did he marry by the way?"

"Lilly Penington. She was a princess from the kingdom of Labraza. There's a picture of her in the hall of portraits," Elsa said.

"Wow! Do you know everything about our monarchy?" Anna asked, impressed.

"Of course I do. All those who are in line for the throne have to learn about it."

"So you must know everything about King Nicholas, then?" Anna asked.

Elsa nodded. "I've read quite a few books on him, yes. He was a very interesting man."

"Sounds like it. Do you think he'd be mad at us for finding his map and journal?" Anna asked.

"I don't know, Anna. When he died, he didn't tell anyone where the treasure was located. But if he hid the map and the journal in the cabin, clearly he didn't want those things to be found."

"Well, we are related to him, so the treasure technically belongs to us, right?"

"Yes it does," Elsa confirmed. "We do have a right to it."

"Then how come he never told anyone where it was?"

"Maybe he was afraid of one of the warring countries of finding it first," Elsa suggested.

"Maybe. Still, I can't wait till we find it. I bet it's full of rubies, emeralds, and diamonds," Anna said; imagining a chest full of jewels.

Elsa laughed. "I'm sure it is, Anna. And I'm sure there will be plenty to give the citizens of Arendelle as well.

Anna smiled. It warmed her heart that her sister cared about her people so much. The treasure was rightfully theirs, but she was choosing to share it with her people. Elsa was a generous ruler indeed.

"Well, let's go bring the rest of your things down to the carriage. Tomorrow is the big day!" Anna cried, excitedly.

"Yes it is," Elsa said, picking up her luggage. Before leaving, she put down her things and turned back around to face Anna.

"No matter what happens during this journey, know that I will always be there for you," Elsa promised.

"And I'll always be there for you as well," Anna promised. The two sisters hugged each other tightly, and then left for the carriage.

* * *

The news of the discovery of the map and journal reached the Southern Isles just as did the rest of the nearby kingdoms. When he first heard the news, Hans was shoveling cow manure as part of his punishment for what he did to Anna and Elsa. He was upset at the fact that the sisters would be the ones to find the treasure first. Once they found it, not only would they be rich in jewels, they would have all the glory. The glory of finding a treasure long believed to be lost. Hans heard through the grapevine that the sisters were first heading to the Dover mansion in France, and then to England. One of his brother's mentioned that they are searching to two halves of an amulet, which will tell them where to go. As Hans shoveled more manure, he began to think more about the treasure. He knew where Anna and Elsa were heading, thanks to Elsa's announcement on the discovery of the map and journal. Who was to stop him from taking the amulet first, and then finding the treasure? It's finders keepers after all. But he couldn't do it alone. It was far too dangerous. He wouldn't stand a chance against Elsa and her magic. But who would help him? Not anyone from his own kingdom. They were still infuriated over his actions a year ago. They'd never agree to something like this.

But what if he got help from somewhere else? Someone from another kingdom who had a large group of people that could kill Elsa, and help him find the treasure at the same time! Hans knew one person who hated Elsa as much as he did. The Duke of Weselton. He had ordered his own men to kill her once, but she managed to get the upper hand. If he brought along more men, then they would stand a chance. Besides, Elsa could never bring herself to kill anyone in cold blood. It's just not in her nature. And she'd certainly wouldn't dare try anything if her precious little sister was at his mercy, he thought, and thinking of a way to use Anna to his advantage again.

Hans returned to the palace, and began to write a letter to the Duke of Weselton. He invited him to the Southern Isles to speak to him face to face, and arrange for his assistance in finding the treasure of King Nicholas.

* * *

 **A/N: Yep! Hans will be the main antagonist in this story. He and the Duke will do anything to get the treasure before Anna and Elsa. Unfortunately for the sisters, that's only one of the many challenges they'll face on this journey.**

 **Thank you all so much for the review! Keep them coming! I love reading them!**


	5. The Forest

Chapter 5:

The Forest

 **A/N: I apologize for the late chapter!**

* * *

Early the next morning, Anna and Elsa said their goodbyes to their friends. Kristoff wished the two the best of luck in finding the treasure; hoping that they brought back millions to share with everybody. Elsa had arranged for Kai to oversee the kingdom of Arendelle while she was away. Olaf, the energetic snowman, wanted to go along with the sisters, but Elsa gently told him that she thought he'd be safer back in Arendelle with Kristoff. The snowman was disappointed, but understood. Once everything was packed in the carriage, the two set off on their journey to find the long lost treasure of King Nicholas.

After quite a few hours on the road, Elsa decided that the two should stop, and camp for the evening. Anna happily agreed. Sitting still for hours on end was getting to be boring. They came upon a forest situated at the corner of the road. Elsa pulled the horses over to the side, and parked in the grass.

As soon as the carriage was stopped, Anna hopped off. "Oh! It feels so good to be able to stand!" she said, stretching her arms. "My whole body had fallen asleep."

Elsa laughed, and joined her sister. "Yeah, I thought that we've traveled enough for today. Let's get the tent set up, and then we can go for a walk in the woods if you'd like."

"Sounds like a plan," Anna said, smiling. Anna removed the tent from the carriage, and began the process of setting it up. She had been camping with Kristoff many times before, so she knew how to do it. Meanwhile, Elsa unloaded other things from the carriage such as sleeping bags, food, drinks, and a tarp in case it rained. When the tent was finished, Elsa kept her promise of taking a walk through the woods with Anna.

The trees in this forest were much thicker than the ones back in Arendelle. The sounds of birds singing, leaves rustling in the breeze was peaceful. After a couple of hours of walking interspersed with conversation, they found a small idyllic glade between the trees. Within it, the sun shone down onto the grass and an abundance of flowers in a myriad of colors. They decided to rest for a while, and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Elsa sat down on the grass, and took a sip of water. Afterwards, she pulled the map out from the pocket of her dress.

"According to the map, there's supposed to be a cave around here somewhere," she said.

"In the forest?" Anna asked, surprised.

"That's what it says," Elsa replied.

"Well, then let's go find it!"

Anna and Elsa continued their walk through the forest, and soon found that the trees were thinning out, revealing an area of hills and rocks. They reached the low cliff that formed a natural barrier that prevented them from continuing on.

They walked along the wall of the cliff, and soon found the cave that led into the side of the cliff. Slowly, they ventured inside until they were beyond reach of the light from the cave's entrance.

The cave was very dark; so much so that it was impossible for them to continue any further without knowing where exactly they were going.

Elsa held her hands out, with her palms upward, and a large glowing snowflake appeared before them, illuminating the area around them with a bright light from its center. She used the light from the magical snowflake to hover around them as they explored the cave. The sisters soon found that the cave wasn't very deep as they quickly reached the end of it. Elsa suggested that the two head back to the campsite before it got too dark.

After an hour of walking, something didn't seem right to Elsa. She took out the map, and examined it closely.

"I hope we're going the right way," she said, worriedly. "It'll be dark pretty soon, and I really don't want to be out here when it is."

"I don't recognize this part of the forest," Anna said, looking around.

"Me neither," Elsa said, disappointedly.

Anna wrapped her arm around Elsa; starting to get a little scared herself.

Elsa noticed, and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Anna. "We'll find our way back."

While there was still just enough light out to see, Anna spotted a tree that looked perfect for climbing.

As she started to climb, Elsa looked at her confused. "What are you doing, Anna?"

"I'm going to see if we can get a better view from up top. We might be able to see the camp from here!"

"Not a bad idea," Elsa admitted. She began climbing the tree along with her sister. Surprisingly, Elsa was a lot faster in climbing than Anna, and quickly passed her as she climbed further up the tree. Elsa turned around, and reached out a hand to help Anna get up to the next branch faster. Soon, she was at the top, and could see over the treetops.

"The view is incredible," she called down to Anna. She could see so far; it was like the entire forest was visible. She even could see the camp from a mile away. It turns out that they had been going the right way, but had diverted from the path they'd taken earlier. The sun was drawing to a close on the horizon; making the sky lit with hues of orange.

By now, Anna had reached the top as well, and stood beside Elsa.

"Wow! You weren't kidding!" she said, admiring the view.

"Well, now that we know where to go, what do you say we head back?" Elsa asked.

"Sounds good," Anna agreed.

"However, how about we take a quicker way down?" Elsa suggested, smiling suggestively.

"How?" Anna asked.

Before she could think twice, Elsa grabbed Anna's hand, and pulled her down as she jumped off the highest branch.

"Are you nuts?" Anna cried, as the rush of air hit her face like a bolt of lightning.

But they didn't fall for long before they landed in soft powdery snow.

Still holding hands, Anna and Elsa laughed with the sheer joy of being together, and lay back in the snow.

"I never pictured you as the daredevil type," Anna said, looking at her sister.

Elsa laughed. "Neither did I, but I thought you might enjoy that."

"I did; apart from the sudden shock of falling," Anna admitted.

The two laughed, and Elsa pulled Anna closer. They should have been heading back to the camp site by now, but instead they decided to just lie in the snow that Elsa and created together, watching as the sun slowly sank below the treetops.

* * *

A/N: This chapter was mean to be sisterly. There'll be moments like this throughout the story. Next will focus on Hans and the Duke, and the one after that will be action packed! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	6. An Unholy Alliance

Chapter 6:

An Unholy Alliance

* * *

When the Duke of Weselton arrived at the Southern Isles, he saw Prince Hans waiting for him at the dock. The letter that he received hadn't specified exactly what the prince wanted to talk to him about, but he did say that it was something that would be rewarding to both their kingdoms. The Duke was deeply passionate about money, and Hans's invitation sounded like it promised just that. As he approached the youngest prince, Hans extended his hand to greet the old man.

"Hello, Duke of Westleton. I trust your trip went well?" he asked.

"Indeed. But at my age traveling across sea can be tiresome," the Duke replied.

"I understand. Why don't you rest up for a few hours, and then we'll talk about why I summoned you here?"

"Very well. I look forward to discussing it with you."

Hans turned to two of his guards. "Guards, please escort the Duke of Westleton to his room."

The guards bowed their heads, and led the Duke to the castle.

After a nice long nap, the Duke of Westleton met with Hans in the parlor.

"Hello there, I trust you had a nice nap," Hans asked when he saw the Duke walk in.

"Yes, it was quite refreshing. Now what is it that you wanted to discuss with me, Prince Hans? Your letter said it was an important affair."

Hans smiled. "Yes, it is an important matter; one might even say that it is the opportunity of a lifetime. Would you care for a glass of wine?" Hans asked, pouring himself a glass.

"Yes, that would be nice," the Duke said, taking the glass of red wine from Hans. "What do you mean by the opportunity of a lifetime?"

Hans and the Duke took a seat on the coach by the fire. "You've heard of the long lost treasure of King Nicholas, right?"

"Of course I have. That's a legend. However, no one has ever found a trace of it. To be honest, I don't think it exists."

Hans smiled. "Ah, but there's where your wrong. As you know, King Nicholas was once the ruler of Arendelle; the direct ancestor of Princess Anna and Queen Elsa."

"Of course," the Duke said, angrily. He was still very upset with Arendelle after they severed ties with his kingdom. And the fact that a dangerous witch like Queen Elsa was in charge was even more disturbing.

"Well, recently the Arendelle sisters have found the map, which leads to the treasure."

"Great, now that witch can indulge herself in even more things that she doesn't deserve," The Duke scoffed.

"That doesn't have to be case, my friend. Queen Elsa has announced that she and Princess Anna are going on journey to find it. Apparently the key to finding where the treasure is hidden lies in the form of an amulet, which is in two pieces; one in the Dover Mansion in France, and the other in the Tower of London in England. If we get the pieces of the amulet before them, we can find the treasure, and divide it between our kingdoms. However, to make things easier, we could kill Queen Elsa and Princess Anna to ensure that they won't be of any problem."

As much as the sound of treasure appealed to the Duke, he was troubled by one big factor: Queen Elsa. He had seen firsthand the powers that she wielded; there was no way he could stand up against her; even if he and Hans had their own army.

"You're offer is tempting, Prince Hans, and it would be a dream come true to obtain such riches, but you are forgetting one important thing: Queen Elsa is dangerous. Her powers will destroy us all if we so much as make a move on either her or attempt to find the treasure.

Hans took another sip of his wine, and smiled. "Yes, Elsa's wintery powers do present a major obstacle for us. However, I have something that we can use to combat that."

Hans reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out a series of blueprints. The Duke looked at the fine details on the paper, which contained a large picture of a gun like device attached to a pushcart.

"What is this?" the Duke asked, perplexed.

"It's the blueprints to an ancient Chinese device called the Pen Huo Qi, also known as the fire spraying machine. It was first used during in 913 CE during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. As you can see, it has a double piston pump that uses fire oil to shoot flames. With a device like this, Queen Elsa's powers don't stand a chance."

"I see. And just how many of these "fire spraying machines" do you have?" the Duke asked.

"My grandfather had ten manufactured. We used them during the last war that we were in over sixty years ago. They proved to be a valuable asset in our battle against the kingdom of Labraza.

The Duke nodded. He liked the sound of these machines, but did Hans really expect just the two of them taking on the witch?

"I don't see how this is a two man job," the Duke confessed. "Sure, your fire spraying machines are impressive, and will undoubtedly stop the witch in her tracks, but do you really think just the two of us will get the job done?"

"Oh, no. I plan on having many more men help us in this quest," Hans answered, taking a sip of his wine. "Your men that is."

"My men?" the Duke asked, confused.

"Well of course, there is no way any of my father's men will help me, especially after the stunt I pulled in Arendelle. Your men will have to get the job done.

"Well, if that's the case, then we will need quite a lot of men. Over a hundred I'd say," the Duke said.

Hans smiled. "That's perfect. We'll have plenty of manpower to take on the witch and her annoying sister. So are you in?"

The Duke thought about it for a minute. For over a year he had been mulling over what Queen Elsa had done to him and his kingdom by severing ties with Westleton, not to mention the damage she caused with the Enteral Winter. And this treasure would be the find of a lifetime. Imagine the publicity Westleton would get when the world found out that they discovered the treasure of King Nicholas. He was still a little hesitant about partnering up with Prince Hans, but with his fire spraying machines, they would have the advantage over the witch's icy powers. They would burn her to a crisp in no time.

"I am indeed, Prince Hans," the Duke said, shaking the youngest prince's hand. "Of course, this will take a few days of planning. I need to get my men and ships ready."

"Of course! And I'll personally see to it that my fire spraying machines are shipped to Westleton without being noticed. Just think my friend, in a few days' time, we'll be off to the Dover Mansion in France for the first half of the amulet. Before you know it, the treasure will be ours. And Queen Elsa will be dead."

This thought pleased the Duke immensely. As much as he wanted the treasure, he desired to see Elsa vanquished once and for all. The world didn't need such a vile person in control of a kingdom.

"Excellent. Let's begin preparations immediately," the Duke said.

The two men shook hands; both smiling greedily at each other. This would prove to be the adventure of a lifetime for both of them.

* * *

 **A/N: Now you see what our villains have in store for Anna and Elsa. I did some research and found out about the Pen Huo Qi fire spraying machines. Basically, they were an early version of the flamethrower. I thought it would provide quite the challenge for the sisters, especially Elsa to face.**


	7. Arendelle Sisters to the Rescue

Chapter 7:

Arendelle Sisters to the Rescue

* * *

For the next few days, Anna and Elsa repeated the same routine of traveling for most of the day, and camping out when it got dark. When their food supply ran low, they stopped at the nearest town, and purchased more provisions. Anna enjoyed this lifestyle. After growing up in a castle for so many years, it was a nice change up, especially when she got to do it with Elsa. One afternoon, as the horses pulled the carriage along the road, Anna took the time to read King Nicholas's journal.

"Wow! This guy went everywhere!" she said, admiring what he'd written about the places he'd been too. "India, France, Belgium, and even China!"

"China was his favorite place to visit," Elsa added. "He made a lot of trips there."

"I'll say. He talks a lot about the place, especially this temple in Hong Kong," Anna said.

"It's a beautiful place! I've never been there, but I've seen pictures. I'd like to go there someday," Elsa said.

"Well, why don't we?" Anna asked. "You know how much I love to travel. I guess I get it from King Nicholas."

Elsa laughed. "Maybe someday, Anna. Right now let's just concentrate on getting to France first. We're still another week or more away."

Elsa steered the carriage onto another road, which led to a small village. Truthfully, as much as she enjoyed camping out with Anna, she missed sleeping in a real bed. She decided that for tonight they should stay at an inn instead. Anna didn't mind at all. In fact, she actually shared the same feelings.

"Yeah, it would be nice to sleep on a bed instead of in a sleeping bag," she said.

Upon arriving in the village, Elsa saw a sign for an inn. She pulled the carriage out front, and parked.

"Let's go make a reservation," she said. The two walked inside, and went up to the front desk. There they were greeted by a man behind the counter.

"How may I help you ladies?" he asked.

"Hello, we would like a room for the evening," Elsa explained.

"Certainly. Are you just staying this evening?" he asked.

"Yes, we will be leaving in the morning," Elsa said.

"Alright. What kind of room would you like?"

"One room with two beds, please."

The man wrote something down in his notebook, and then turned around and took a key off the keyrack.

"Very well. You're in room 3. Would you like me to carry your luggage upstairs?"

Elsa smiled. "Thank you for your offer, but I think we can manage."

Elsa handed Anna the key, and the princess went upstairs to check out the room while Elsa went to fetch some things from the carriage. Since they weren't staying long, she only brought a few things like clothes, toiletries, and some books to read. She then brought the carriage around back with the others.

When she entered the room, Anna was sprawled out on the bed staring at the ceiling.

"This is a nice place," she said, admiring the woodwork of the room.

"Yes it is," Elsa agreed. "How about we go for a walk? It's such a nice day out."

Anna's eyes lit up. "I'd love that."

"Great! Let's go!"

The two sisters left the inn, and walked along the cobblestone streets. Various carriages and people passed them as they went along, smiling and waving at them. As they walked along the streets, they stopped at several stores that caught their interest. One such store was a florist, which contained dozens of different types of flowers. Anna picked out several lilies, and purchased them. She gave one to Elsa, and kept one for herself. The two put the flowers in their hair; admiring how they looked.

"You look beautiful," Elsa said.

"Thank you! So do you!" Anna replied.

"Thank you."

After leaving the florist, the two stopped at a restaurant for some lunch. Anna had one of her favorite meals; a ham sandwiches with a side of pickles, and Elsa had the same. The two were so caught up in the day that the almost didn't notice what was happening on the end of the street.

A young man was being beaten severely by another man. He was on the ground, cowering in fear as the assailant pummeled him with his fists. The assailant then dug into the man's pockets, and pulled out a wad of cash. He then took off running.

"Help me! Somebody please! I've been robbed!" the man cried, getting back on his feet.

"We got to help him!" Anna cried, running after the thief.

"Anna, wait!" Elsa called out, but Anna was already halfway down the street.

The youngest sister kept right on the thief as he darted past carriages and people. Anna did her best not to lose sight of him as he tried his hardest to lose her. "Stop thief!" she called out, but strangely no one did anything. Eventually, the chase led to an alleyway, where the thief was met with a solid wall, signaling a dead end.

When the turned around, Anna was there blocking his escape.

"Nowhere to run now, buddy. Hand over the money you stole!" she demanded.

The thief smiled, and then started to laugh.

"I mean it. Hand over the money!" Anna cried.

"Or what?" The thief asked.

"Or else I'm going to…"

Anna reached her pistol, only to discover that she did not have it on her. She must have left it in the carriage. Suddenly, two more men came from behind her. From the looks of it, they seemed to be thieves as well, and even knew the thief that she had chased into the alleyway. The thieves pulled out knives, and slowly walked towards her. Anna backed away, only to discover that the other thief had also pulled out a knife as well.

"Shouldn't have followed me, sweetheart," he taunted. "Bad things happen when you stick your nose where it doesn't belong."

"Listen, it's fine. You don't have to do this. I'll just leave," Anna said, trying to keep her cool.

"I don't think so, pretty lady. Cant risk you going to the police."

"Please, no!" Anna said, worriedly.

"Don't worry, sweetie. We'll make this quick," one thief said, grabbing Anna by the hair.

"Help please!" Anna cried.

Suddenly, a cold gust of wind blew in; followed by a large sheet of ice which threw the thieves against the wall, freezing them in place.

"What the hell is this?" one thief cried, trying to escape the icy prison.

"Where did ice come from? It's July!" another cried.

"It just came out of nowhere!"

"Yes, it did," said a new voice.

Turning their heads with what little movement they had, the thieves saw Elsa standing at the entrance to the alleyway with one of her hands extended. She walked towards the thieves, coming face to face with them.

"Now unless you want to remain frozen to that wall, I suggest you get out of here, now!" she commanded. "And if you ever try to hurt my sister again, I will freeze you from the inside out. Got it?"

The thieves nodded profusely; terrified out of their skulls.

Elsa smiled. "Good."

With a flick of her wrist, she melted the ice, releasing the thieves from their prison.

"And one more thing: hand over the money you stole," Elsa said to the thief Anna chased.

The thief reluctantly handed over the wad of cash to Elsa before he and his buddies took off running.

Anna ran up to her sister, embracing her in a tight hug.

"You sure showed up in the nick of time," she said.

"Indeed. I hate to think of what would have happened if I hadn't," Elsa said. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Anna and Elsa returned the money to the man, who was overjoyed at the gesture. "There should be more people like you in the world," he told the sisters.

The two then made their way back to the inn. By now it was starting to grow dark, and they needed to get some sleep.

As they walked back to the inn, Elsa chided Anna for her recklessness earlier that day. "Anna, that was a pretty foolish thing you did today, running after the thief like that."

"I know. I just wanted to help," Anna said.

"I realize that, Anna, but you need to learn to think before you act. You put yourself in some real danger today. If I hadn't shown up when I did, who knows what could have happened?"

Anna nodded. She knew that Elsa was right. "You're right, Elsa. When I get an idea in my head, I just go with it. I don't think twice about it. I need to learn to think things through. I'm sorry."

Elsa smiled. "It's OK, Anna. You've got a big heart, and thanks to you, that man got his money back. It warms my heart to see you care so much about people, even those you don't know."

"Thanks, Elsa. And thanks for having my back today."

"No problem, little sister. I'll always have your back. You're the most important thing in the world to me. I love you, Anna."

"I love you too, Elsa."

The two sisters embraced each other in another tight hug, before continuing their walk back to the inn. Nearby, however, two men were watching the sisters closely. They were the Duke of Westleton's men, and had been sent to scout ahead for the rest of the group. They watched as Anna and Elsa entered the inn.

"Perfect. Now we've got them trapped. Let's go tell the boss," one of the men said.

* * *

 **A/N: Another sisterly chapter here. I've always believed that Elsa is very protective over Anna, and would do anything to keep her safe. In this particular story, I really want to emphasize that. I also want to show how their relationship is key to their survival. These two will always have each other's back, and they'll need it when facing Hans and the Duke.**

 **Please Review!**


	8. Danger Close

Chapter 8:

Danger Close

* * *

Early the next morning, Anna and Elsa woke up to eat a healthy breakfast at the inn. Afterwards, the two got dressed, and prepared to continue their journey. As Anna finished brushing her hair, Elsa went down to the front desk to pay for their stay. The man at the desk smiled as she approached him.

"Hello, miss, I hope your stay was satisfactory," he said.

"Yes, it was. Thank you very much," Elsa said, smiling in return.

She took a few coins out of her pocket, and paid the man for the night.

"Much appreciated, miss. I wish you and your sister well. Come back and see us anytime."

"You're welcome. You have a lovely establishment," Elsa replied.

As Elsa walked towards the front door, two large men approached her. They blocked her from exiting the building.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," she said politely. "I need to get through."

The two men didn't move. Instead they stared ominously at Elsa; their eyes bearing into her like hot coals.

"Gentlemen, could you please move?" Elsa asked.

When the two men didn't respond, Elsa cleared her throat and spoke more firmly.

"Gentlemen, I would like to go outside, but I can't do that with you blocking my path. Could you please step aside?"

This time the two men looked at each other, and grinned. One of the men suddenly reached out, and grabbed Elsa by the arm.

"What are you doing? Get off of me!" Elsa cried, jerking her arm away.

"Listen little lady, come with us if you know what's good for you," one of the men said.

Elsa slowly backed away; the two men stalked closer towards her. Who were these guys?

"Get away from me!" Elsa cried again, putting her hands up in self-defense. She was willing to bury these men in snow if she had too.

"Get her!" one of the men yelled. The other ran towards Elsa, grabbing her by both of her arms. The Snow Queen fought fiercely as the man pulled her towards the front door. Elsa managed to get one of her arms free, and when she did, she let out a powerful blast of snow, sending both men against the wall. Elsa took the opportunity to run upstairs to her room. Whoever these men were, they certainly were up to no good. She had to alert Anna.

When Elsa ran into their room, she quickly locked the door behind her. Anna noticed her sister's frightened look, and grew concerned.

"Elsa, what's the matter?" she asked.

"Anna, I was just attacked by two men," she said. "We need to leave now."

"What? Attacked? We need to contact the authorities," Anna said.

Suddenly, they heard a loud banging on the door.

"Open up ladies," a voice from the other side called out. "Don't make us break the door down."

"What do they want from us?" Anna cried, suddenly frightened.

"I don't know. But we have to get out of here now. Let's climb out the window!" Elsa said.

She opened the window, and looked down. Fortunately, they weren't too high up. They could easily jump, and remain unscathed.

"Come on, let's go!" Elsa hollered to Anna.

"What about our things?" Anna asked.

"Forget about that. WE got to get to the carriage, and get out here now!"

The pounding on the door grew louder. Any second those hinges would be ripped off. They had to leave now.

"Come on, Anna!" Elsa cried.

Anna followed Elsa out the window. The two ran around back where the carriage was parked. When they arrived, they saw three other men aggressively approach them.

"There they are! Don't let them escape!"

"More of them!" Elsa thought. "What do they want from us?"

The sisters jumped onto the carriage. Elsa grabbed the reins, and signaled the horses to move. The horses pulled the carriage quickly down the streets. Anna turned around, and saw the three men chasing after them.

"Who were those guys?" Anna asked

"No idea, but whoever they are, they obviously wanted to hurt us," Elsa answered.

Elsa thought about the two men she encountered in the lobby of the inn. The way they looked at her; it was as if they knew who she was. Moreover, the way they were dressed was peculiar as well. They didn't look like the common street thug. They were dressed in what looked like royal attire. Who were they exactly? And why did they suddenly attack her and Anna? Whatever the reason, Elsa was relieved that they were safe, and away from harm. Elsa would never forgive herself if anything bad happened to Anna. She was her whole world.

The sisters drove for several hours before they decided to camp out for the night. The recent encounter with the men confirmed Elsa's worst fears. This treasure hunt was dangerous, just as she thought it would be. Should they turn back now, and go home, before something else happened? No. Anna wouldn't like that one bit. She'd accuse Elsa of chickening out just because they were attacked by some thugs, and maybe she was right. It was just one thing after all; and they were a long ways away from those men anyway. Besides, they were already started; if they gave up now then they would never find the treasure. Elsa knew how much Anna wanted to find it, and she hated to let her sister down. The journey would continue. The lost treasure of King Nicholas was just within their grasps, and they were determined to find it. Little did either of them know, that danger was all around them, ready to strike at any given time.

* * *

 ** _A/N: A little action packed into this chapter! Next one will be even more exciting! Anna and Elsa are definitely going to need each other to survive this journey. As I mentioned earlier, this story is a journey of a lifetime for the both of them._**


	9. Edward

Chapter 9:

Edward

* * *

After their encounter with the men who attacked them, Anna and Elsa were on higher alert. Both had no idea who the men were or why they attacked them. It was random, but from the way they did it, it seemed like they knew who they were. No. They were just scaring themselves. It was probably just a bunch of thieves who thought they could get away with robbing two young women. One afternoon, as they drove down the road, one of the wheels to the carriage fell off. Elsa pulled the reins tightly, signaling the horses to stop. When she examined the damage done, she saw that the wheel had split in half.

"Great. We must have run over a rock or something in the road," she said.

"Do we have a spare?" Anna asked.

"No, unfortunately we don't. I should have packed one. Looks like we have to take the horses to the nearest town to get a replacement wheel."

"Darn. Well, I'll go unhook the horses," Anna said.

As Anna approached the animals, she saw another carriage approaching them. The man driving pulled back on his own reins, stopping beside them.

"Is there a problem ladies?" he asked.

"Yes, one of the wheels to our carriage broke in half, and we don't have a spare," Anna explained.  
"We're going to take the horses to the nearest town to find a replacement."

The man looked at the broken wheel on the ground, sharing his concern. "I'm afraid that the nearest town is several hours away," he said.

Anna sighed. "Well, that's just great."

"Tell you what, I have an extra wheel in the back of my carriage. You two can have it," he offered.

"Oh, we couldn't impose," Elsa said, stepping into the conversation.

"Nonsense, I have several. Besides, even if you did make it to town, they're just going to charge you for one. This one is on me."

"Wow! That's very thoughtful of you! We're glad you came by when you did!" Elsa said.

"Happy to help. I hate to see a couple of young ladies in distress. Let me just get the wheel from out the back."

The man retrieved the extra wheel, and put it onto the carriage. Before long, it was as if they had never broken a wheel.

"There you are! All finished!" he said, admiring his work.

"My sister and I can't thank you enough, sir," Elsa said.

"Not a problem. Happy to help," the man said.

"What's your name by the way?" Anna asked.

"Edward," the man said, shaking Anna's hand, and then doing the same with Elsa's. And you two fine ladies, are?"

"I'm Queen Elsa of Arendelle, and this is my sister, Princess Anna," Elsa said introducing herself and Anna.

Edward's eyes widened. He quickly bowed to the sisters. "My goodness, and I am ever happy that I came along when I did. A queen and princess? I'm very glad I could have been a service to you ladies."

"Thank you. We greatly appreciate all that you've done," Elsa said.

"Tell you what, how would you two like to come to my cabin and have supper with me?" Edward offered. "I only live a mile from here. I own a forest all to myself actually.

"Well, that's kind of you to offer, but we really should be going," Elsa said.

"Oh, come on, I insist! You two look like you could use a warm cooked meal," Edward said.

Anna nodded. "It's true. The past few days all I've had is fruit, and bread."

"Well, let's get a move on, shall we? Follow me. I'll take you straight to the cabin."

Elsa was unsure about this. They didn't know this man, and after their encounter with the men at the inn, she was a little wary about trusting strangers. But the man did seem nice, and he did fix their carriage. Maybe she was being too judgmental.

"Very well. Lead on, Mr. Edward," she said.

* * *

Edward led the sisters to an isolated spot in the center of the woods. There sat a cabin a lot like the one they went too back in Arendelle, however, this one was a bit larger. Inside, the walls were covered with stuffed animals: bears, deer, antelope, rabbit, pigs, etc. To be honest, it was a little unsettling. Edward saw the look on Anna and Elsa's face, and quickly explained.

"I forgot to mention that I am a big game hunter," he said. "I've traveled all around the world hunting many wild beasts. That grizzly bear there I shot and killed while I was in Canada. Hunting has always been a big passion of mine, ever since I was a child."

"I see," Elsa said. To be honest, it was creepy seeing the many stuffed animals staring down at them, but it was just a hobby, nothing more.

Edward led them to a table, and then began to cook the evening meal. When he was finished, the three ate together. The food was delicious. Anna and Elsa had never eaten meat that tasted this good.

"This is the best chicken I've ever eaten," Anna said, taking another bite.

"Actually, it's not chicken. It's rattlesnake," Edward explained. "It's my own recipe. Although I think I used too much curry tonight. I'm glad you like it though."

Anna and Elsa looked at each other. They had never eaten rattlesnake before. It was alarming to say the least. Neither of them ever thought you could actually eat such a deadly animal. There was an awkward moment of silence upon hearing this revelation.

Seeing a chessboard on the counter, Anna quickly got the conversation going again.

"Are you a chess player, Edward?" she asked. "Elsa's big into chess. She's the best player I know."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Anna, I'm not that good."

"You beat me ever time!" Anna exclaimed. "Not to mention you beat practically everyone in the castle back home!"

"I just play the game, that's all," Elsa said, modestly.

"Well, we should have a little match, then," Edward said, putting his utensils down. "Come on, Elsa. Just the two of us."

Elsa sighed, but smiled nonetheless. "Alright. One match."

"Excellent! But before we do, would you ladies like some more wine?" Edward asked.

"Yes, please," Anna and Elsa both answered.

Edward went into the back room of the cabin, and pulled out another bottle of red wine. Unbeknownst to Anna and Elsa, he slipped out a small bottle of white powder, and poured it into both their glasses.

Upon returning, he gave each of them their own glass. Anna took a big gulp as soon as she received hers. Elsa took a few sips of hers as well.

The three of them then made their way to the counter, where Edward began setting up the board. "White or black?" he asked

"White," Elsa answered, taking another sip of wine.

By the time Edward had set the board up, Anna was starting to feel dizzy. Elsa quickly noticed, and grew concerned.

"Anna, are you alright?" she asked.

"I feel a little dizzy," she said, placing a hand on her forehead.

"Too much wine, Anna?" Edward asked.

"Maybe. I'm going to go lie down," Anna said, going over the coach.

"Suit yourself. But you'll miss a great match!" Edward said.

As soon as Anna's body hit the coach, she felt the dizziness grow stronger, and stronger. She struggled to keep her eyes open. Suddenly, she just couldn't do it any longer, and fell asleep.

By now, Elsa was beginning to feel the effects of the drug too. Her vision was blurring, and she too was feeling dizzy.

"Looks like you might have had too much wine as well," Edward said, smiling. "It's your move," he said, gesturing to the chessboard.

Elsa slowly moved one of her pawns forward, but the second she placed it down onto the board, she fell face forward onto the counter, out cold.

"It's my move now, Queen Elsa," Edward said.

When Elsa came too, she found herself in the middle of the forest. Anna was laying right beside her, still sleeping. Looking around, Elsa had no idea where she was. She grabbed Anna, and shook her awake.

"Anna, Anna, wake up!" Elsa said. Her head was killing her. No doubt a hangover from last night.

When Anna awoke, she was groggy, and in pain. "My head!" she moaned. "I feel like someone hit me in the head with a rock. Where are we?" she said, looking around.

"Elsa looked to her right, and saw what appeared to be a letter. She picked it up, and read its contents.

" _Good morning, Anna and Elsa,_

 _You've probably realized by the hangover you both have, that I drugged you two last night. I hope you got plenty of rest. You'll need every ounce of energy for what awaits you. You see, as I mentioned last night, I have a big passion for hunting. However, in recent years, I grew bored of hunting animals. That's why I now prefer to hunt humans. How great would it be to add a queen and a princess to my collection! This will be the ultimate sport for all of us. Me the hunter of course will be the one with the real victory, but you could also escape like any animal if you're quick enough. Now: let the hunt begin! Oh, and if it helps, think of chess. Think about every move twice before you make it. However, unlike chess, once this game is over, the board can't be set up again._

 _Good luck, ladies._

Elsa looked around her. In the area surrounding her and Anna were what appeared to be tombstones. Grave markers of the people Edward had undoubtedly hunted over the years.

"Oh my God," she said, softly. "Anna we got to go now!"

* * *

 **A/N: And so the hunt begins! Edward is crafty, but he picked the wrong people to mess with. I figured this would prove to be an interesting challenge for the sisters. Next chapter coming soon!**


	10. The Hunt

Chapter 10:

The Hunt

* * *

"He's hunting us!" Anna cried.

Elsa nodded, pulling her sister by her hand through the trees. "Yes, he drugged us, and he's now hunting us in hopes of adding us to his collection."

"But…but…how on earth is he getting away with this?" Anna asked, terrified. "And why?"

"Judging from the tombstones, he's been doing this for a long time," Elsa said. "God knows how many people he's killed. Look, it doesn't matter why he's doing this. He's a psychopath, and that's that. All that matters is that we get out of here before he kills us."

For the next twenty minutes, Anna and Elsa ran through the woods, searching for a way back to Edward's cabin. It pained them to have to return to the lair of the monster that was hunting them, but that's where their carriage was. Once they got to it, they'd be able to get out of the forest faster. Taking a sharp turn left past some bushes, Elsa looked to her right, and saw an arrow heading straight towards them.

"Look out!" she cried, throwing her hands in the air, and summoning an ice shield. The arrow hit the solid block of ice, missing the sisters by mere inches. From behind the shield, about 100 yards away, Edward stood holding a crossbow.

"What in the world? What kind of magic is this? Elsa, you created ice with your bare hands! How did you do that? It was magnificent! Oh, I must add you to my collection."

"Stop this, Edward! You're a sick man, and you need help!" Elsa cried out.

Edward laughed, loading his crossbow with another arrow. "It's all part of the game, Elsa. Remember what I said, think about every move before you make it."

He fired another arrow at the sisters. Elsa created another shield, followed by a blast of snow towards Edward, knocking him down on his feet.

"Let's go!" she said to Anna.

Edward brushed the snow off of his clothes, marveling at the sight. "What kind of witch are you, Elsa? You can create ice and snow whenever you want! Oh, how marvelous! This makes you even rarer."

Edward ran after the sisters, shooting arrows left and right at them.

"You're putting up a good fight," he called out. "I like a challenge!"

"Stop it, you freak!" Anna yelled.

"Anna, there's no point in reasoning with him. Just run!"

Anna and Elsa ran down an embankment, which led them to a small pond.

"Where do we go now?" Anna asked.

Elsa spotted several large rocks in the middle of the pond. Thinking about her choice carefully, she led Anna into the water, and the two hid behind the rocks. When Edward caught up with them, he had no idea where they went.

"Come out, ladies!" he hollered. "I promise I'll make this quick."

Anna and Elsa listened from behind the rocks as Edward taunted them. "You know, I honestly figured you two would be easy prey, but I guess I was wrong. You're obviously much smarter than I thought you were. No matter, there's only one was out of this ladies. It's the circle of life, and we all know how it goes."

When he was sure that Anna and Elsa weren't in the vicinity, Edward left the area, giving Anna and Elsa the chance to slip out of cover.

"This way!" Elsa said. "I think the cabin is back through here!"

The sisters made their way through another thicket of trees, which led to a clearing. There in the center of the woods was the cabin they had stayed at the previous evening. Right next to it, was their carriage.

"Oh, thank God!" Elsa cried. "Let's go before he finds us again!"

Anna started to follow her sister, but suddenly got an idea. "Wait, there might be some supplies inside we can use."

"Anna, forget about that! We have to go now!" Elsa exclaimed. "He could be here any minute!

Anna grabbed her rifle, and powder flask out of the carriage. "Look, I'll be safe alright. If he shows up, I'll blow his head off. Besides, I won't be long. I just want to see if there's anything in there that we can use. You just focus on getting the carriage ready. I'll be out in a minute."

Elsa reluctantly agreed. With a psychopathic hunter on the loose, she feared for Anna's life. Edward wouldn't hesitate if he got the chance to shoot her. She tried to push this thought aside as she readied the horses. Meanwhile, Anna had discovered that the cabin was unlocked. Inside, she grabbed what food she could find as well as a couple of books on the area. No telling if they would come in handy or not.

Outside, Elsa had finished preparing the carriage. She went around to the other side to head towards the house to retrieve Anna, only to be met with barrel of a rifle.

"Hello, Elsa," Edward said, smiling.

"Edward, this has gone on long enough. Your sick, twisted, game ends now!"

"Oh, no! I can't give up. What kind of hunter would I be?" he asked.

"You have no right to call yourself a hunter," Elsa snarled. "You're a serial killer, that's what you are. Drugging people than hunting them down like deer! Humans aren't like the beasts that you have mounted on your walls."

"They're not? Tell me, Elsa, how are humans any different than animals? We both breathe air, eat, drink, sleep, live in a natural habitat. We're not really that different at all. I just find humans to be much more thrilling to hunt. Now, enough talk.

Edward cocked his rifle, and aimed it at Elsa's head. "Before I pull the trigger, could you show me some more of that magic of yours? It's quite beautiful actually…you're quite beautiful."

Elsa suddenly got an idea. She smiled at Edward as she slowly twirled her hands. "Of course, Edward, whatever you say!" In a blink of an eye, a blast of snow sent Edward hurling backward, causing him to slam against the cabin. His rifle skittered across the ground in the process, several feet in front of Elsa. Elsa charged at the rifle, eager to get it before he did, but Edward was much quicker than she thought. He grabbed the rifle before she did, and hit her as hard as he could on the head with the butt of it, sending her to the ground.

"Very clever, Elsa, but not quick enough, I'm afraid. Now, just hold still. This won't hurt a bit!"

Before he could pull the trigger, Edward heard the cocking of a hammer behind him as well as an angry voice.

"You move an inch, and I'll blow your head off," said the voice. "Drop the rifle! Now!"

It was Anna, standing behind Edward with her own rifle pointing at the back of his head. The princess looked determined as Elsa gazed at her from the ground.

"Do it!" Anna yelled. "I'm not going to ask you again."

Begrugingly, Edward dropped his rifle.

Now put your hands in the air!" Anna commanded. "And turn around slowly."

Edward did as she ordered, not daring to disobey a single command.

"I found out something interesting about you, Edward," Anna said. "You've got quite the history it seems."

Keeping one hand on her rifle, Anna pulled out a small photograph, and a newspaper clipping from her dress and through them in front of Edward.

"And by history I mean quite the tragic past," she elaborated.

"Anna, what are you doing?" Elsa asked.

"I think I know why our friend here enjoys hunting humans, Elsa. He's getting revenge."

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"In the newspaper article, it says that a man's daughter was killed in a hunting accident. That man being Edward."

Edward looked at the ground. He couldn't face either of the sisters.

"Would you care to elaborate on this story, Edward?" Anna asked.

Edward sighed. "I took my little girl out hunting one day. She was so excited! So ready to take on the wilderness. When I was loading my rifle, she slipped off, and went into the woods without me. Next thing I hear, is a loud shot. I race over to where I heard it, and there in a pool of blood is my little girl, and the bastard who shot her standing above her. He tried to tell me it was an accident that he thought she was a deer or something, but I didn't care. He murdered my baby girl! My sweet, beautiful, Julie!

I swore from that day on that I would get revenge on that man. I knew that he regularly hunted in the woods. So one day, I followed him, and like I would any animal, I waited until the moment was right to move in for the kill. When I killed him, I felt something come over me. Something I had never felt before. There's a certain sense of triumph when you kill an animal, and this feeling was a lot like that, only greater. It didn't just feel good to avenge my little girl, it felt euphoric. Like I killed the ultimate trophy! From then on, hunting animals didn't give me the satisfaction that killing humans did. I hunted only men from then on out, growing craftier at the sport every time I ventured out into the woods. I've proven myself to become the ultimate hunter. No man on earth has done what I've done. I am God!"

"And what do you think Julie would think of you?" Elsa asked. "Do you think she would approve of her father brutally murdering innocent people all to fulfill his twisted desires of becoming the ultimate hunter? She'd hate you for it."

"Shut up!" Edward growled. "They took my little girl! I'm only taking something from them in return!"

"You don't care about Julie anymore, Edward. You're so consumed by your desires for revenge and becoming the greatest hunter on earth, that you can't see the real picture!"

"Here's what's going to happen, Edward. We're going to take you to the authorities, and you're going to confess to everything you've done," Elsa said. Got that?"

Edward nodded. He knew that he had been beat. Elsa stood up, and led the way back to the carriage. As Edward followed, Anna kept the rifle on him. Unbeknownst to her, Edward was also armed with a hunting knife. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled the knife out, and sliced Anna on the arm, causing her to drop her rifle. He then pounced onto Elsa with the knife.

With one swift motion, Elsa summoned an icicle, piercing Edward straight through the heart. Edward gurgled as blood dripped from his mouth, and chest. He fell to the ground, dying instantly.

Elsa stood up, panting heavily. She couldn't believe what she had just done. She had killed someone. Elsa ran over to the bushes nearby, and threw up. This was so sickening, she had actually taken someone's life, how could she?

* * *

An hour later, Elsa had finally settled down. Anna had been comforting her, assuring her that what she did was in self-defense, which made the killing perfectly justifiable. Still, Elsa couldn't help feel wrong for what she did.

Anna and Elsa buried Edward's body in an unmarked grave; finally putting an end to his reign of terror.

After making sure everything was prepared, the sisters set out on their journey again.

Elsa was still distraught by the whole ordeal, so Anna agreed to drive. When she took a seat on the carriage, she found a note.

 _Hello, ladies,_

 _If you're reading this, it means that you've outsmarted me in my own game. Unfortunately, I can't congratulate you in person. My defeat no doubt, was strong. But rest assured, there are no ill feelings. I wish you both good hunting."_

 _-Edward_

* * *

 **A/N: There you have it. The sisters outsmart the hunter. And Edward has a tragic backstory. Still, I'm curious, do you feel sorry for him at all or do you think he was a cold-blooded killer who got what he deserved? I think Elsa would feel very guilty about killing someone, but it was self-defense after all. Next chapter will focus on Hans and the Duke.**

 **Thank you all for the reviews! I greatly appreciate it!**


	11. Predators

Chapter 11:

Predators

* * *

Hans poured over all the information he had about King Nicholas in his tent one evening. Before he left the Southern Isles, he made sure to grab any book that so much as mentioned the famous Arendelle king. In the past few weeks, he had learned much about the man. He believed that if they were to find the treasure before Anna and Elsa, they had to know as much about them as they could. And there lie another problem: the Arendelle sisters. He was frustrated that the Duke of Weselton's men were unable to capture the women. He talked to the Duke late one night to plot their next move accordingly.

"I still can't believe that your men attacked them unarmed. Don't they know the kind of powers Elsa has?"

"Believe men, Prince Hans, I too am upset at their poor judgement, but I believe that if we ambush them with more men, we would be able to defeat them."

Hans shook his head. "You're still forgetting about Elsa. She could wipe them out with a simple wave of her hand."

"Ah, but you're forgetting about the fire-spraying machines. Queen Elsa doesn't stand a chance against those. Fire melts ice, remember?"

Hans nodded. They did have the advantage over Elsa in that regard. "So if she so much as sent a single snowflake our way we could incinerate it."

"Precisely. We could incinerate both sisters with these machines. Once they are out of the way, then we won't have to worry about them getting to the treasure before us."

"Excellent. How far off do you think they are?" Hans asked, looking at the map he had sprawled out in front of him.

"If they are continuing to travel at the pace they are going, I'd say they're at least three days ahead of us. It should be a few more weeks before they get to France," the Duke replied.

"Alright. If we intercept them along the way, then we'll have no problem with them anymore."

"Indeed. I can't wait to torch that witch, and her insolent sister," the Duke said.

"Yes, once they are out of the picture, then the treasure is all ours," Hans said.

The Duke smiled. "Just think of all those diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and gold! It's enough for a dozen kingdoms!" But only two are going to get it!"

Hans laughed. "You're right about that, good sir. Now go get some rest. We're leaving first thing in the morning."

After the Duke left, Hans went back to reading one of his books on King Nicholas. In the book there was an illustration of King Nicholas, standing proudly in his robes.

Hans cold only imagine how much the fool had stored away. Thousands upon thousands of jewels that he never wanted anyone to find. He probably thought no one ever would either. Truthfully, Hans didn't want to share the treasure with the Duke of Weselton. When the time came, and the treasure was found, he was going to make sure that the Duke wouldn't get a single coin of the treasure. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it yet, but he would figure out a way soon. But the Duke's men are very loyal to him, they'd surely defend him, and make sure they got their share of the treasure. No matter. He'd find a way to deal with them too. But for now, he needed their help to find the treasure as well as take care of Anna and Elsa.

In a few days, he and the Duke's men would catch up to Anna and Elsa, and there they would make sure that the sisters were out of the picture for good. They deserved it for what they did to him. If he couldn't have the kingdom of Arendelle, then he would settle for the next best thing.

Looking at the picture of King Nicholas, Hans smiled. "Well, Nicholas, looks like the Arendelle bloodline will be ending very soon."

* * *

 **A/N: My apologies for the short chapter. Next will be longer. I just wanted to give you all another chapter before school starts. I'm starting my senior year of college, so I might not be able to update as often, but I will certainly try my very best!**

 **Also, I plan on the next chapter being another sisterly moment between Anna and Elsa. I haven't forgotten that there will be plenty of those moments on this journey as well.**


	12. The Creek

Chapter 12:

The Creek

 **A/N: Well, as it turns out, the first day of classes wasn't much, but that's just the first day. So I had time to write up another chapter for you all. As promised, this one is full of sisterly fluff. Something that I plan on dishing out throughout the story. Enjoy!**

* * *

After their dreadful encounter with Edward, Anna and Elsa decided that it was best not to talk about it ever again. Elsa was still shook up from the whole experience, especially the part where she had to kill Edward. Anna however, constantly reminded her that it was all in self-defense, which made it justifiable. Though it still felt wrong to her, slowly Elsa was beginning to accept the fact that Anna was right. Both agreed that they should be extremely careful with who they trust on their journey from then on out. There were a lot of bad people in the world; people that enjoy harming others. Anna and Elsa vowed to protect each other, no matter what. As anxious as they were to find the treasure, they knew that their lives were worth much, much more.

One afternoon, as they rode through the forest, Anna suggested that they play a game to pass the time. The two settled on a game of "I Spy."

"I spy with my little eye something green," Anna said.

"The trees?" Elsa guessed.

"Yep."

"That was an easy one," Elsa commented.

"Your turn," Anna said.

"Ok. I spy with my little eye something wet."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Wet?"

"Yep. Something wet."

"I don't see anything wet around here," Anna said, looking in all directions.

"Keep looking. You'll see it soon," Elsa replied.

As the carriage moved along, Anna could see a small creek running through the edge of the woods. Instantly she knew what Elsa was talking about.

"Is it the creek?"

"Sure is!" Elsa said.

"Oh, that looks really nice! Can we stop Elsa? I want to go wading in the creek," Anna asked.

Elsa smiled. "Of course."

Elsa pulled back on the reins, signaling the horses to stop at the edge of the creek. Before jumping off, Anna grabbed her holster, and pistol from the carriage. "Just to be safe," she said. "You never know who might be lurking in these woods."

"Ok. Just be careful with that. Remember, it's not a toy," Elsa said.

"I will. Don't worry, Kristoff taught me how to use it," Anna said, placing her pistol in her holster. "How do I look?" she asked.

Elsa laughed. "Like a tough princess."

"I wish I had a cowboy hat. That would be sweet."

"Yeah, then you would really look like a gunslinger," Elsa said, getting out of the carriage.

The two wandered over the creek, which ran smoothly through the trees, and down through the forest.

Anna sat down on a rock, and began to take her shoes off. She slowly waded into the creek, enjoying the warm water engulf her feet.

"Elsa, come on in. The water feels great," she said.

Elsa shook her head. "I don't want to freeze the creek."

"You won't. You have control over your powers, right?"

"Yes, I do," Elsa replied.

"Then come on in! Don't make me drag you in!" Anna warned.

Elsa smiled, and followed suit. She gently walked into the water, surprised by how refreshing it felt. She truly hoped she didn't freeze the water, especially with Anna in it. That would not be good. Surprisingly, the water didn't freeze. Anna was right. She had control over her powers, there was no need to worry about things like that.

"Doesn't this feel good?" Anna asked.

"Yes, it does. Very refreshing."

"Come on, let's see where this leads," Anna said.

The two followed the creek down for several minutes, ending up in a small quarry on the edge of the woods. There they found a slightly larger body of water. It was still very shallow, and the sisters were able to stand the whole time. To their right, was a creek bank nestled next to some trees. Anna and Elsa got out of the water, and sat down in the sand on the bank. They sat still for a minute; enjoying the tranquility as well as the beautiful scenery.

"This is lovely," Anna said, lying back on the sand. "I could stay here forever."

"Yes, it is nice," Elsa agreed.

"What do you think Kristoff is doing right now?" Anna asked. Their current location reminded her of the mountain man, and what he might be doing during their absence.

"He's probably off harvesting ice," Elsa guessed.

"Yeah, I could see him with his head in a block of ice," Anna said, giggling.

Elsa laughed. "He really does like ice, that's for sure."

"Yep. He's one of the best ice harvesters there is," Anna said.

"I know. That's why I appointed him to be the Official Royal Ice Harvester and Deliverer."

"Wait until he sees all the gold and jewels we bring back. If he thought your ice palace was impressive, this is going to make his head spin," Anna said.

"Perhaps. But don't forget that we plan to share most of the treasure with the people of Arendelle," Elsa reminded her.

"Oh, I haven't. I was just thinking about how happy they are going to be when we give them their share of the treasure," Anna said. "They'll love it! Of course, we'll save a little for us, right?"

"Of course. After all, we were the ones who went through all the trouble to find it," Elsa said.

"That's good. Because we deserve some too for all our efforts."

Elsa sighed. "Yeah, it's been quite the effort alright. We've been on the road for weeks, and we're still a long ways away from France."

"We'll get there, don't you worry," Anna said.

Elsa didn't share her concerns with her sister. After the attack at the inn, and the recent encounter with Edward, Elsa was beginning to question the true value of this adventure. Sure, gold and jewels were nice, and it would be history in the making to find the treasure of their ancestor. But was it worth risking their lives over? True, they were still in one piece, but the encounters with Edward and the men at the inn was too close. Elsa could see how happy Anna was that they were on this journey. Not only was the journey a chance for them to find a treasure that had been hidden for centuries, but it was a good way for them to bond together. Thirteen years of separation had done a lot of harm. Though they managed to make up for what time they loss, there was still a lot of catching up to do. This journey provided them with the opportunity to get to know each other better, while at the same time accomplish something great. Maybe she was overacting. Though they had some close calls, they were still alive, and uninjured. This proved that whatever this journey had in store for them, they could take it as long as they had each other.

"Hey," Elsa said, touching Anna on the shoulder. "I love you."

Anna smiled. "I love you too, Elsa."

"I'm really glad we decided to do this together."

"Me too. You know how much I love spending time with you. This treasure hunt provides the perfect opportunity for that. It's so much fun seeing all these places with you! And it'll be even more exciting when we find the treasure."

"Yeah, it will be exciting, but I already have the best treasure. I have you as a sister," Elsa said, smiling.

The two sisters wrapped their arms around each other in a tight embrace, savoring the tender moment between them.

* * *

 **A/N: I love these two. I hope there are plenty of moments like these in Frozen 2. That's why I write a lot of sisterly one-shots too. They are my favorite. Anyway, as promised, there will be more sisterly fluff in future chapters. I haven't forgotten about it. Next chapter will be action-packed however. The sisters will need to use every bit of their wits to survive.**


	13. Ambushed

Chapter 13:

Ambushed

* * *

"Denmark sure is a pretty country," Anna said, admiring the view all around them. Surrounding the road that they were on was an open field stretching out for miles, and miles. The grassy plain lands were coupled by hills which towered all around them.

"Yes, it is very pretty," Elsa said. "I just wish the sun would come out. I don't like the look of that sky. It looks like it's going to rain. The sky above them was beginning to darken; black clouds hung above them as they steered the carriage down the road.

"Hopefully, we can get to a village before it pours," Anna said.

"If there is one around here. For the past hour it's been nothing but grasslands," Elsa said.

"Maybe we'll run into someone who can tell us where to find the nearest village," Anna said.

"You never…

Suddenly a gunshot rang out above their heads, startling the horses greatly. Elsa pulled tightly on the reins, urging the horses to calm down. "It's Ok, it's OK," she said.

"What in the world was that?" she asked. Another gunshot rang out, once again startling the horses. Anna and Elsa turned around and ten men on horses charging toward them. They were armed with rifles, aimed directly at them.

"Go! Go!" Anna cried.

Elsa whipped back on the reins, signaling the horses to break into a fast run. More gunshots continued as the sisters sped down the grassy fields.

"What do they want from us?" Anna asked, grabbing her pistol. She was ready to fire it if needed.

"I have no idea. We just have to get away from them," Elsa answered.

As the gunshots continued, Anna fired several shots back at the men shooting at them. She hit one of them in the shoulder, which caused him to fall off his horse.

"Got one!" she cried. "Wait a minute…Elsa, freeze the ground beneath them. It will cause their horses to slip and fall over."

"What about our horses?" Elsa asked.

"Just freeze the road behind us, not in front. Here I'll drive for a while."

Anna took the reins from Elsa, and the older sister took a position at the back of the carriage. Aiming her hands toward the ground, Elsa caused ice to form, and swiftly creep towards the men chasing them. In no time, several of the men's horses began to slide all over the ground. The men held tightly to the reins, trying to steady their horses back into positon, but before long they lost control, and the horses fell over, taking them with them.

"Haha! I knew that would work," Anna said, smiling. "Next time they'll think twice before attacking someone with magical powers."

Over the hill, a dozen more men approached. This time, they were pushing a cart with what appeared to be a cannon mounted to it. Neither of the sisters had ever seen anything like it. The man who was standing behind the cannon, poured something into it, which caused a stream of fire to ignite from the other end. The flame spread over 100 feet, melting the ice that Elsa had created, and giving the fallen soldiers a path to pursue them.

"That thing shoots fire!" Elsa cried. "My powers are defenseless against that."

The man pumped the machine again, creating long streams of fire toward the sisters. The stream ended close to their carriage, almost touching one of the wooden wheels.

"Elsa! You have to take out that machine. If that fire gets to us, this carriage is going go up in flames!" Anna cried.

Elsa nodded. She knew what she had to do. Taking a deep breath, Elsa aimed her arms toward the machine, and created a powerful blast of ice the size of a huge boulder. As the blast came closer to the machine, the man fired the cannon again, sending a long stream of fire, which quickly melted the ice blast.

"Anna, this isn't working," Elsa said, getting worried.

"Forget that! We have another problem," Anna said, pointing up ahead.

In the distance, Elsa could see a large gap where a bridge was supposed to be. Only the bridge wasn't there! Surprisingly, Anna wasn't stopping. In fact, she was actually speeding up.

"Anna! What in God's name are you thinking?" Elsa cried.

"Don't worry, I've done this before. We can make it to the other side."

"But the bridge is out!"

"That doesn't matter! We can still make it!"

The men were still pursuing the sisters, growing steadily closer as they approached the gap. Elsa did her best to hold them off by blasting them off their horses with ice blasts. Meanwhile, the gap was almost upon them.

"Elsa, I need you to unhook the carriage," Anna instructed.

"What? Are you crazy?" Elsa cried.

"It'll make it easier for us to cross the gap. Grab what you can, and then unhook it."

Elsa didn't bother arguing with Anna. Even though she still thought her idea was insane, she did as she was told, and grabbed Anna's rifle, powdered flask, a bag of fruit, and blankets. She then unhooked the carriage, and jumped onto one of the horses.

"Here it comes!" Anna cried.

The horses jumped over the gap narrowly making it to the other side. Just as she'd hoped, the men who had been chasing them stopped. They didn't bother trying to make that dangerous jump.

"Come on, there's got to be another way around! Let's go!" one of the men cried. The rest of the men followed him, leaving Anna and Elsa scared, but victorious.

"Well, that was unexpected!" Anna said, wiping the sweat off her brow. "What an adrenaline rush. I wonder what those guys wanted. No matter, they're gone now. Let's press on towards France."

"Hold on, Anna," Elsa said, dismounting from her horse. "Let's talk about this for a minute."

"About what?" Anna asked.

"I mean this whole thing…the treasure. Is it really worth it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean is it worth going through life or death situations just to find it. Look at how many close calls we've had! The men at the inn, the encounter with Edward, and now these guys trying to kill us. Not to mention they had a machine that shoots fire! I know you had your heart set on finding this treasure, but it's just not worth it. Let's go home."

Anna scoffed. "I can't believe you! You're quitting just because a couple of bad things happened to us? Elsa, when life gets tough, you don't just give up, you keep going, remember?"

"Anna, this is much more than a tough situation! We could have been killed! Don't you realize that?"

"I know, but we didn't. We're still breathing," Anna retorted.

"And can you be sure that we'll still be breathing within the next few days?" Elsa asked.

"Elsa, are you scared? Is that what this is about?"

"Yes, I'm scared! I'm scared of being killed, and I'm scared of you being killed also!" Elsa cried.

"Don't be. We can handle it. As long as we're together we can handle anything that comes our way," Anna reassured. "Just think about how amazing it will be when we find the treasure! All that gold, and jewels. It'll be incredible!"

Elsa shook her head. "Anna, you got your pride all tangled up in this thing. It's making you reckless. You know better than that! Can't you see that it's just not worth risking your life over?

Anna sighed, and shook her head. "Typical. I should have known that you would chicken out. Why did I even bother asking you to come along on this journey? You're afraid! Just like the last thirteen years of your life, you're living in fear."

"Anna, that's not what I meant," Elsa said, walking closer to Anna to meet her face to face.

"When the going gets tough, what do you do? You cower and run. I can't believe you're the queen of Arendelle. A real leader isn't like you, they aren't afraid to take risks. They aren't afraid of trying something new. Well, some leader you are."

Tears were now streaming from Anna's eyes. She grabbed her rifle, and powdered flask, before hopping up on her horse.

"I'm going after the treasure. If you want to go back to Arendelle, be my guest. All the more treasure for me," she said.

She signaled her horse to move, and quickly sped off down the plains.

"Anna, wait!" Elsa cried out. But the princess was out of earshot.

I have to go after her, Elsa thought. What if she runs into those men again? She'll get herself killed!

Without wasting another second, Elsa boarded her horse, and sped off into the direction that Anna went.

* * *

 **A/N: , I hope you enjoyed this action packed chapter. It won't be long before the sisters deduce whose men are following them.**


	14. Making Up is the Best Part

Chapter 14:

Making Up is the Best Part

* * *

Elsa raced across the fields on horseback; the wind blowing heavily in her face. Anna couldn't have gotten too far. She had to get to her before any of those men did. Who were these guys? She thought. Why were they attacking them? And what was that crazy contraption they had that could shoot fire? Elsa could only assume that all of the answers to these questions weren't good. If things weren't already bad enough, she lost her temper, and drove Anna off. Elsa promised that she would protect her younger sister no matter what on this journey. Now that she was gone, who knows what could happen to her? Elsa whipped the reins on her horse harder, signaling him to go faster. Time was essential. If any of those men harmed Anna, she would never forgive herself. She didn't have a second to lose.

* * *

Anna crouched behind a large rock, which shielded her from the gunfire. On the other side, over a dozen of the same men that chased them were shooting at her. Anna picked up her rifle, and fired repeatedly at them, hitting several of the men directly. The firefight continued for ten minutes, each side shooting back at each other. Even as the number of men dwindled, there were still quite a few more left to take care of. Anna reloaded the last of her black powder into her rifle, before firing more rounds at the men. "Come get me, you bastards!" she yelled. Anna didn't want the men to know that even though she looked confident, Anna was terrified on the inside. She was out of black powder for her rifle, and all she had left was her pistol to defend herself.

Once she fired the last shot on her rifle, Anna removed the pistol from her holster, and fired several more shots, striking more of the Duke's men. When it came time to reload, Anna checked her bandolier only to discover that she only had three bullets left. There was no way she could take the rest of the men out with only three bullets.

"Oh, God, this is it!" she muttered to herself. "I'm done for! Oh, I wish Elsa was here."

As if on cue, a sheet of ice tore through the area, knocking the rest of the men unconscious. Anna looked up from behind the large rock to see Elsa racing towards her on horseback.

"Anna! Oh, my God, are you hurt!" Elsa cried, jumping off the horse. She ran over to her sister, and checked her all over, looking for any bullet wounds.

"I'm fine. Way to show up in the nick of time," Anna said, breathing heavily. Even though the fight was over, her heart was still rushing.

"Anna, I'm so sorry for what I said back there. I didn't mean it," Elsa said. "I only meant the best for you. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Anna nodded. As soon as the men ambushed her, she knew that what Elsa said was the truth. She was behaving recklessly. She was letting her desire to find the treasure blind her to the dangers all around her. Elsa gave her a wakeup call; one that she regretted having not listened to.

"It's fine, Elsa. I managed to hold them off for a while, but if you hadn't shown up when you did, I'd certainly be dead," Anna said, opening the pistol to show that she only had three rounds left.

Elsa pulled Anna into a tight embrace; cherishing the gift she had just to be able to hold her sister again. "If anything would have happened to you…" she said, tears beginning to stream down her face.

"I know," Anna said. "I know."

A moaning sound came from behind them. Anna and Elsa turned around to see one of the men slowly moving his head. He had regained consciousness. "I'll take care of it," Anna said, walking over to the man with her pistol ready to fire.

"No, Anna, wait!" Elsa cried, stopping her.

Elsa crouched down beside the man, grabbed him by his collar, and pulled him to face her. "Who are you? Why are you and your men attacking us?"

"Go to hell, witch!" the man spat.

"I'm going to ask you again. Who are you? And why are you attacking my sister and I?"

"You don't scare me," the man sneered.

With one hand, Elsa summoned an icicle, and held it to the man's throat. "If you don't tell me what I want to know, this is going to go straight through you. Answer my question!"

The man started to shake. Truthfully, he was terrified of Elsa. He knew of the Snow Queen's powers, and he believed her when she said she'd kill him if he didn't tell her what she wanted to know.

"Ok….Ok…Hans and the Duke of Westleton are after the long lost treasure of King Nicholas. They sent us to kill you two so you wouldn't get to the treasure before us. They're on their way to France right now!"

Elsa looked at Anna; the two sisters both shocked at the revelation. "How does Hans and the Duke know about the treasure?" Anna cried.

"Because he heard about when I announced that we found the map and journal," Elsa answered. "Now they're hell-bent on getting to the treasure before us."

"Well, we can't let them!" Anna cried. "We got to get there before they do!"

"Hold on, Anna," Elsa said. "Let's talk about this."

"Don't start this again, Elsa. That's our treasure they're going to steal! It belongs to us!"

"I know, but if you'll just listen…

"I don't care what you say, we're going, and that's final!"

"Anna! I know, alright!" Elsa cried, getting her sister's attention.

"We're not going to let them get it," Elsa said.

Anna's eyes widened. "You mean, we're going to stop them?"

"No. We're going to get the halves of the amulet before they do, and we're going to get the treasure. There's no way in hell I'm letting those two claim what's rightfully ours, especially after all they've done to us."

"But what about this being too dangerous?" Anna asked. "Back there you were ready to turn and walk away."

"I know, but now I see that we have a lot riding on this one. This is personal," Elsa explained. "There's no way I'm letting Hans and the Duke steal our inheritance. Come on, let's go before more of them show up."

Before leaving, Elsa turned back and addressed the last remaining man of the group.

"Tell Hans and the Duke, that if they know what's good for them, they'll stay far away from my sister and I," Elsa hissed.

The man, now completely petrified, nodded vigorously, and ran off into the plains. Anna and Elsa watched him until he was out of sight.

"You think they'll really listen?" Anna asked, incredulously.

"No. But it couldn't hurt to try," Elsa replied, smiling at her.

"So now what do we do. I don't have a horse anymore as you can clearly see," Anna said, gesturing to the dead horse several feet away.

"We still have one horse. We'll ride until we find a village. There we'll see if we can purchase another carriage as well as some supplies."

"Alright. Sounds like a plan," Anna said.

The sisters boarded their horse, and began to set out for the first village. As they raced across the plains, Anna remembered something.

"Hey, Elsa, how will we know how to get to France? Didn't we lose the map and the journal when we jumped over the cliff?" she asked.

Elsa smiled. "Anna, you know me better than that." She pulled out both the map and the journal from the pocket of her dress, and handed them to Anna.

"Smart," Anna said, smiling. "Way to go, sis!"

* * *

A/N: Another action-packed chapter! I hope you enjoyed this one! Next one will focus on Hans and the Duke, but the one after will be full of sisterly fluff.


	15. The Damage Done

Chapter 15:

The Damage Done

A **/N: Apologies for the late update. Being a senior in college, and working two jobs takes a lot of time out of you. Enjoy!**

* * *

As Hans, and the Duke of Weselton pulled onto the scene, they saw a dozen dead bodies lying in one area, and a group of other men who were only knocked unconscious by Elsa's ice blast. Several of them were beginning to regain consciousness The Duke was enraged at the sight.

"That witch!" he cried. "She did this didn't she?"

"Yes, sir. Her and her sister. That princess is one good shot," said one of the men.

"And you're not?" the Duke cried. "She's a woman! You're a man! You're supposed to be stronger than her."

Hans took his place beside the Duke and examined the damage done. It was clear that Anna and Elsa were more than a match for the both of them. But they had the greater numbers, there was no way they'd be able to defeat them.

"Let's keep going. They couldn't have gotten too far," Hans said, walking back to his horse.

"What?! Hans! What about my men?" the Duke cried in disbelief.

"Yes, it's tragic that you lost several of your men, but we have to stay on schedule. If Anna and Elsa get to France before us, then we'll be out of one half of an amulet."

The Duke furrowed his brow. "Have you no compassion? These were human beings!"

"I know, and don't you want to see Queen Elsa and Princess Anna pay for what they've done?" Hans asked.

The Duke softened his demeanor. He wanted to see Queen Elsa more than anything dead. She was a menace to the world; no one with wicked powers like that should be able to walk the Earth. He told the rest of his men to leave the bodies unburied, and resume their travels.

Along the way, Hans thought about Anna and Elsa. Oh, how he couldn't wait to get his hands on them. They were proving to be more difficult than he imagined. He underestimated Elsa's powers. He thought for sure the Duke's fire spraying machines would burn them to a crisp, but they didn't. And Anna. Who would have thought that such a gullible, stupid princess was good with a gun? She must have had a good teacher, he mused.

Hans began to have this fantasize of kidnapping the two of them, and keeping them alive until they found the treasure. Once they did, he would shoot them in cold-blood. He would shoot Anna first. He wanted to see the look on Elsa's face as her beloved sister was murdered right in front of her. Then she would join her. Both would die knowing that he had won; he had the treasure. What a sweet sensation that would be.

But Hans knew that capturing them was too much of a risk. With Elsa's powers, they would escape easily. No. They had to be killed before they found the treasure. The sooner the better.

* * *

Meanwhile, Anna and Elsa were camping out beside a river, under the stars. Since they lost the carriage, they didn't have their sleeping bags; so they had to resort to sleeping on the grass. Anna fetched a large pile of sticks from the nearby woods, and remembering what Kristoff taught her, started a fire by rubbing two sticks together.

"Good job, Anna!" Elsa said, applauding her sister. "That's impressive."

"Kristoff showed me how to do that last time we went camping. It's a neat trick. I just wish we had something to eat."

Elsa smiled. "Well, while you were gathering firewood, I found a bush full of blueberries nearby."

Elsa pulled out two pocketfuls of blueberries, and placed them in front of Anna.

Anna gave a cry of joy. "You're the best!" she said.

"Thanks. I know, I'm hungry too," Elsa said, popping a blueberry into her mouth. "It's not much, but at least it's something to eat."

As the girls ate the blueberries in silence, Anna thought back to what one of the Duke's men said.

"Elsa," she said.

Elsa looked at Anna. "What is it, Anna?"

"Do you think we'll get to the treasure before Hans?"

Elsa smiled. "Of course we will, Anna. The Duke and him may have hundreds of men, but they don't have someone with powers like me."

"Yes, but you saw that fire shooting machine. That thing melted your ice in a second!" Anna exclaimed. "Not to mention we had over a dozen guys shooting at us."

Elsa knew that she was right. That machine was problematic, and knowing Hans and the Duke, they were likely to have more. They had to be destroyed.

"Don't you worry about that, Anna. I'm not going to let them get to the treasure before us. It's rightfully ours; they don't deserve a single coin of it."

Anna smiled. It made her feel good knowing that Elsa was now full of confidence, ready to take on anyone that would try and stop them.

"I can't believe that he has the nerve to do this after all he's done," Anna complained. "Hans deserves another punch to the face."

Elsa laughed, remembering vividly when Anna sucker punched Hans off of the ship. "Yes, he does. When we get back to Arendelle, I'll personally see to it, that neither he nor the Duke ever bother us again."

"Good to know." Anna yawned, and stretched out her arms. "Well, I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Hopefully tomorrow we can find a village, and get some supplies."

"Hopefully," Elsa agreed. "Good night, Anna. I love you."

"I love you too, Elsa. Thanks for sticking through this," Anna replied.

"You bet. Don't worry about Hans, and the Duke. They don't stand a chance against us," Elsa reassured.

Anna smiled, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Instead of going to bed herself that night, Elsa decided to stay up and keep watch. If any of the Duke's men came in the middle of the night, she wanted to be ready to protect Anna no matter what. Truthfully, Elsa wasn't entirely sure that they could stand a chance against Hans and the Duke. They were unpredictable; there was no telling what was up their sleeves. As Elsa stared off into the darkness, she couldn't help but experience a growing feeling of dread.

* * *

 **A/N: The sisters have much more in store for them. Next chapter coming soon!**


	16. The Attack

Chapter 16

The Attack

* * *

When they arrived at the next village, Anna and Elsa bought supplies. They bought some food, ammunition, a tent, two waterskins, and a new set of clothes. The village didn't have any carriages for sale, so the sisters were left to continue traveling with one horse. Anna and Elsa continued their journey; more alert than ever after their encounter with the Duke of Weselton's men. They took turns keeping watch at night, ready to fight if they needed too. Since the discovery of who was racing them to the treasure, Elsa had within her a new sense of determination that wasn't there before. She wasn't going to let two men who terrorized her steal a treasure that was rightfully belonged to her and Anna. If they tried anything, she would be ready.

One morning, after sleeping half the night, and spending the other half keeping watch, Anna awoke, and looked outside the tent. It had been raining the previous evening. The grass was still wet, and rainwater dripped from the branches of the trees.

"It's a good thing we put the tarp on," Anna said. "We would have gotten soaked."

Elsa sat up, and stretched her arms. "You're right about that. Come on, let's get going. We need to stay ahead of them."

"Elsa, can't we rest for just another day. I'm tired of always being on the move. Besides, I think we're far ahead of them by now."

Elsa explained to Anna that with Hans and the Duke, there would be no rest. They would pursue them every day until they caught up with them. She and Anna packed their things, and rode onward to the next town. By dusk, they had ridden for most of the day, and decided to camp out in the woods nearby. As much as the sisters wanted to set a fire to keep them warm, they knew that it was too dangerous to do that in the middle of the forest. They ate the remaining pieces of fruit that they had; both wishing they had something else to eat. If we would have gotten here earlier, I could have gone hunting, and caught us something," Anna said.

"True. But it is what it is. Maybe tomorrow you'll get the chance," Elsa said.

"Look, there's still some light out. I bet I can get something before it gets dark," Anna persisted.

"Anna, no, it's too dangerous," Elsa said, firmly. Anna grabbed her rifle, and loaded black powder into the muzzle. "I'll be fine, Elsa. I won't go that far."

Elsa didn't like it one bit. With Hans and the Duke right on their tail, and the fact that they were in unknown territory, there were a lot of dangers waiting out there, but Anna seemed determined to catch them some food. Elsa reluctantly let Anna go, under the condition that she would be back soon.

"I will. Don't worry, Elsa, I have my rifle in case I run into anything dangerious," Anna reassured.

This was true. Anna could defend herself if she needed too. Maybe she shouldn't worry.

Anna walked into the heart of the woods, looking all around for any animal in sight. There was still enough light out for her to see, but just barely. In about an hour or so, it would be dark as coal. Hopefully she could get something before then. Anna walked deeper into the woods. She was going a little further than she promised Elsa, but that was OK. She knew where she was. Suddenly, Anna heard the sound of a stick breaking. She aimed her rifle high in the direction where she heard the sound, but saw nothing. As she turned around, she saw two wolves standing a few feet in front of her. Anna knew that these were creatures not to be tampered with. She crept back slowly, keeping her rifle on them just in case. Turning around, she saw two more wolves coming from the other side. Anna knew that she wouldn't dare make any sudden movements, but at the same time she couldn't just stand there. The wolves had clearly picked her as their target, and could pounce any moment. Anna backed up slowly again, this time stepping on a stick, which make a loud cracking sound.

This caused the wolves to charge at her all at once. Anna raised her rifle, and fired a single shot one of the wolves, killing it instantly, but the other three grabbed hold of her, pulling her to the ground.

"Elsa! Help! Help!" Anna cried.

Anna screamed as the claws and teeth sunk into her flesh, the wolves tearing at their prey violently. Anna tried to retrieve her rifle, which was just a few feet away from where she had fallen, but the pain was too great to move. She managed to get one of her arms free, and punched the wolf on the nose, hoping it would make it release the grip it had on her other arm, but the creature held on tight. Now both of her arms were bleeding profusely, and she had severe lacerations on her chest. The pain, the agony, it was worse than Anna had ever felt in her life. The claws digging into her skin, teeth ripping at her flesh, it hurt so badly, she wished she were dead.

"Elsa! Elsa!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. By now the pain was so bad, Anna closed her eyes, slowly blackening out. She passed out to the sight of a clear, icy light ahead, causing the remaining wolves to flee. Blood was being lost rapidly; Anna's body lay completely limp. Her arms, and chest were stained with crimson, and her back had a large gash in it. Elsa ran to Anna's side, frantically trying to stop the blood from spilling.

"Anna! Oh, my God! Anna!"

Elsa shouldn't have let Anna go off by herself. She knew that it was dangerous for Anna to go out alone, but Anna managed to convince her otherwise. Now this had happened.

"Don't worry, Anna. I'm here. I got you," she whispered, frantically. Elsa picked Anna up in her arms as carefully as she could. Elsa then made her way back to camp as fast as she could. Anna was still breathing, but unconscious. She needed medical attention fast.

* * *

 **A/N: Cliffhanger! Yes, this was a particularly dark chapter, but fear not, all hope is not lost.**


	17. Captured

Chapter 17:

Captured

 **A/N: Apologies for the late update. I have a lot of things going on right now. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Elsa whipped the reins as hard as she could, signaling the horse to go faster. With Anna slowly bleeding out, there wasn't a moment to lose. Elsa did the best she could to treat Anna's wounds with what little material she had. To help stop the bleeding, she ripped off pieces of her dress, and wrapped them around the wounds. It would do for the time being, but Anna needed proper medical attention fast. They had been traveling on the same road for about ten minutes, and there was still not a single house in sight. At this rate, Elsa would throw herself to the first person she saw walking down the road for help. She looked back at Anna who sat propped up on the horse. The princess was moaning in pain; her eyes were glazed, and the blood was beginning to soak through the pieces of Elsa's dress onto the horse. "Hold on, Anna. I'll get you help soon. I promise," Elsa vowed.

As the road curved, Elsa saw a small cabin situated near the edge. Elsa pulled on the reins to stop the horse, before running up to the door, and banging on it.

"Help! Somebody please help! My sister is injured!" Elsa cried.

The door quickly opened, revealing an old woman in her nightgown. "Do you have any idea what time it is, young lady?"

"I'm so sorry to disturb you, ma'am, but my sister…she was attacked by a pack of wolves." Elsa stuttered. She was so scared for Anna, she could hardly speak straight.

The woman picked up a lantern, and walked towards Elsa's horse. Upon seeing Anna's bloody makeshift bandages, the old woman instantly knew what she had to do.

"Oh, my dear! Get her inside, quickly!" the old woman said. Elsa carefully picked up Anna, bringing her inside, and setting her on the bed where the old woman told her too.

The old woman went over to one of the cabinets, and removed a medium sized box, which contains ointment, and large bandages.

For the next hour, she carefully rubbed the ointment all over Anna's wounds. "This will prevent the wounds from getting infected," she told Elsa.

Elsa held tight to Anna's hand, saying as many prayers as she could for her. Why? Why did she let her go off all alone? It was her duty to protect Anna no matter what, and she failed. She failed miserably.

The old woman didn't ask Elsa questions as to how this happened, and for that she was glad. Elsa really didn't feel like explaining the whole situation to her. After Anna was bandaged up, the old woman told Elsa that it was best that they let her rest for the evening. Elsa didn't want to leave Anna's side; she was worried that she might not make it. The old woman told her that Anna had been brought to her just in time for her wounds to be treated.

She offered Elsa some hot soup, and a place to sit by the fire. Elsa hadn't eaten in a while; truth be told, she was too worried about Anna to eat, but the old woman insisted. "You need your strength," she said.

The old woman introduced herself as Mary. She had been living in Denmark for over sixty years. Her grandfather built this cabin himself.

"Where are you headed, child?" she asked Elsa.

Elsa took a spoonful of her soup, blowing on it before taking a bite. She then answered the question. "We're headed to France," she said, hoping that she wouldn't have to elaborate any further on the matter.

"I see. France is an awful long way to go for two young ladies. There's also a lot of dangerous things out there."

"We've been fine up until now," Elsa lied. She didn't want to explain to Mary about all of their encounters so far on the journey.

"How did your sister get attacked by wolves?" Mary asked.

"She was going hunting for food. I guess she went right as they were on the prowl as well," Elsa replied. "I'm going to go see her. I just want to see if she's doing alright."

Elsa started to walk towards the door to the other room where Anna was, but Mary gently took her by the hand. "My child, I promise you that she is fine. She took quite a beating there, but she'll make it. I can tell that she's a strong girl."

Stronger than I am, Elsa thought to herself.

"It's late, child. Go and get some rest. I'll see you in the morning," Mary said.

Elsa agreed, and took her place on a cot that Mary had made for her. She removed the map and the journal from the pocket of her dress, and placed them on the bed beside Anna. Right now, she didn't want to even be reminded of the treasure. The only thing that mattered right now was Anna. Her sweet, little sister.

* * *

The next morning when Elsa woke up, Anna was still sleeping. Fortunately, she seemed to be breathing OK; it would be a while before she would be back on her feet though.

Elsa stepped into the main room of the cabin, looking for Mary. "Mary! Are you here?" Elsa said.

There was no response. The fire had gone out hours ago, making the cabin feel freezing. Elsa called out to Mary again, but there was still no response.

"Maybe she's outside," Elsa said to herself. The Snow Queen opened the door, and stepped outside. She went around back to see if Mary was there. Out back was a large pile of firewood, but that was about it. "Mary, Mary!" Elsa called. No response. The wind began to howl, causing the leaves to blow past her feet. Elsa walked around the firewood pile, only to discover a gruesome sight.

There lying in a pool of blood was Mary. The old woman had been shot in the head. "Oh, my god!" Elsa cried.

Before she could take another step, a shot rang out above her head. Elsa turned to see five of the Duke's men hurdling toward her on horseback. Elsa quickly conjured a shield of ice to protect her from the bullets they were firing. Two more shots hit the ice, causing bits of it to fall off, but the shield held steady nonetheless. "I got to get out of here," Elsa said. But what about Anna? Elsa knew that she had to protect her sister, but at the same time she knew that Anna was in no state to travel. If she tried to move her while her wounds were still healing, it could make things worse. I got to draw them away from the cabin, Elsa thought. It's the only option.

Elsa ran out from behind her shield, flicking her wrist to send a wave of icicles towards the Duke's men. The icicles dove deep into the men's flesh, killing them instantly. Not surprisingly, more of the Duke's men came racing towards her. Elsa kept on running down the road, hurdling a sheet of ice in her wake. The horses of the Duke's men slipped on the ice, sending their riders flying off.

"Come and get me, you bastards!" Elsa cried. She came to a bend in the road, which led past an open field. Hopefully that's the last of them, Elsa thought.

"Ow!" Elsa felt a sharp pain in her neck. She placed her hand where the pain was, discovering that there was a needle or something in her neck. Just as she pulled it out, and examined it, she began to feel dizzy. Her vision was blurring; she could barely stand up. What's going on, Elsa thought. Her head was spinning, and she was having trouble staying focused. Elsa tried to keep moving, but the dizziness was getting worse. The minute she put one foot in front of her, she fell down, completely unconscious.

* * *

When Elsa came to, her head was hurting, and her entire body felt numb. Opening her eyes, she saw to her horror that she was trapped in some sort of metal cage. The dizziness still lingering, Elsa carefully tried standing up, but felt something pull her back down. Elsa looked at what it was; shackles that covered her hands, much like the ones that were used on her in Arendelle. She looked around the room; she had no idea where she was. All that was in the room was the cage, along with some gardening tools.

The door creaked open, causing Elsa to turn in its direction. Much to her discontent, the Duke of Weselton walked inside.

"How are you doing, witch?" he snarled.

Elsa stood up. The shackles didn't let her move around much, but she wasn't going to back down to this conniving little weasel.

"What do you want with me?" Elsa demanded.

"A little gratitude would be nice. We could have killed you back there," the Duke replied.

"Well, thank you for reluctantly sparing my life," Elsa said, sarcastically.

"Oh, believe me. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to slit your delicate little throat, you wretched witch. Do you know how many of my men you and your sister have killed? Dozens!

"They were trying to kill us. It was all in self-defense," Elsa retorted. Elsa didn't want to kill anyone, but she had no choice when someone threatened her or Anna.

"Oh, you'll pay for what you've done, Queen Elsa. Once we find the treasure, you and your sister will suffer greatly."

Elsa gritted her teeth, and rattled her shackles, which prevented her from conjuring her powers. These were a lot stronger than the ones in Arendelle. "IF you lay one finger on her…" she hissed.

"You'll do what?" the Duke sneered. "As you can clearly see, you're tied up at the moment. You can't touch me!"

"Want to bet?" Elsa cried, she rattled the shackles fiercely, trying her best to break free from them.

The Duke chuckled; enjoying the sight of Elsa struggling to get free. The door opened behind him, and Hans walked inside.

"How's our guest?" he asked, the Duke.

"Stubborn as a mule. She thinks that she can get out of that cage, but those shackles are made of pure steel," the Duke replied.

Hans smiled. "Well, that's good to know. If you'll excuse me, I need to have a word with our guest."

"Certainly, Your Highness," the Duke said, leaving the room.

After he was gone, Hans approached the cage, still smiling. "Quite the predicament, Elsa. How are you going to get out of this one?"

"Where's Anna?" Elsa demanded, she had no time for Hans' mind games.

"I was going to ask you the same thing, along with some other important items," Hans said.

"Like what?" Elsa asked.

"Like the map and the journal. Where is it?"

"Go to hell," Elsa spat.

Hans was quiet for a minute; thinking about how to make his next move.

"I have no idea where Anna is, Elsa. But if you truly want her to be safe, I suggest you cooperate with me. Otherwise, when we do find her, I will show no mercy. After all, I only need the map and the journal."

Elsa refused to give into Hans' trickery. She knew what kind of man he was.

"Then I guess you're out of luck, because I don't know where the map or the journal is either. So you're never going to see a single coin of that treasure."

Hans groaned. After he drugged Elsa, he had his men search her, and to his shock and dismay, both items were not on her. That could only mean one thing: Anna had them. The Duke's men said that Elsa had run from a cabin near the edge of the road. By the time they caught her, they didn't think about going back to look for Anna. They were just concerned about getting Elsa to their camp nearby, before she woke up. If Elsa didn't have the map or the journal, that meant that Anna did.

"Well, if you're not going to tell me, I guess I'm just going to have to find them myself. I just hope your sister has enough bullets when I do."

Elsa's eyes widened. "Listen to me, you bastard, if you even touch her, I'll freeze you from the inside out!

"Well, I think that would be hard to do, given your current situation. So long, Elsa. I'll be back soon."

Hans left; locking the door behind him. They had set up camp nearby, and locked Elsa in an abandoned shed. He wasn't worried about her getting out. Those shackles were impenetrable; not even her powers could break them. Hans rounded up a group of the Duke's men, and set off for the cabin where he was sure Anna was located.

* * *

 **A/N: Another cliffhanger! Will Anna be able to defend herself in her condition? Will she rescue Elsa from the clutches of Hans and the Duke? More to come soon.**


	18. Race to the Rescue

Chapter 18:

Race to the Rescue

* * *

When Anna awoke, her entire body felt numb to the core. She tried sitting up, biting her teeth together in an effort to withstand the pain. Slowly she opened her eyes, and looked around the room. From the looks of it, she was in a cabin of some sorts. There was a small table in the corner next to a fireplace, along with a cabinet, and some chairs. Where am I? Anna thought. How did I get here? She tried standing up, but it hurt so much to do so. The wolf attack really did a number on her. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was Elsa putting her on the back of their horse, and riding off. Anna examined her arms, chest, and legs, discovering that they were covered in bandages. Did Elsa do this? She wondered. Anna could see faint traces of blood through the bandages, nothing compared to how she looked after the wolves first attacked, but it was still uneasy to look at. Finally, Anna got up enough strength to try to attempt to stand again. It was painful, but Anna was starting to get used to it. Her legs throbbed as she placed one foot in front of the other. Where is Elsa? She wondered. On the table, Anna found the journal, and the map as well as her pistol, rifle, holster, and bandolier. She picked up the pistol, and activated the cylinder release to see that she had one bullet in each of the six chambers. "Probably should keep these close by," she thought. "No telling when Hans and the Duke's men might show up. "Now to find, Elsa."

Anna wandered around the cabin calling her sister's name, but to no avail. Elsa wasn't in the cabin. Anna stumbled outside, still numb from the pain. She could see their horse in the stable nearby. Anna walked toward it, and gently rubbed its nose. "Good boy. Where's Elsa?" she asked. The horse started to bray rapidly as if something frightened it. "Calm down, calm down, boy," Anna said, grabbing the reins, and gently petting the horse. Something must really being scaring you, she thought. Anna then heard the sound of hooves approaching. She looked outside the stable, and saw five men approach her on horseback. Even from a distance she could see the familiar colors of their uniforms: it was the Duke of Wesleton's men.

"Damn it! Not now," Anna moaned. "I got to hide." Anna climbed up onto the rafters in the stables, pistol in hand, and ready to use it if needed. When the men reached the cabin, they got off their horses, and began to look around.

"Two of you search the cabin. The rest of us will search the grounds," one of the men said. "She's got to be here somewhere."

The two men entered the cabins, rifles drawn. The other three men began to search the grounds, making sure they left no stone unturned.

"What if she's not here?" one of the men asked.

"She has to be. Where else could she have gone?" another said. "Come on, the sooner we find her, the sooner we get the map and journal, and the closer we get to the treasure. Check the stables! I'm going to check out front again."

The men split up, leaving two of them searching the stables. From up on the rafters, Anna could see the two men enter with their rifles drawn. So far they hadn't noticed her.

"There's a horse here. Do you think it's hers?" one of the two men asked.

"Probably. Keep looking, she's bound to be here. One of the men went to search the other half of the stable, while the other searched the other half. Once they were separated, and the man was directly under her, Anna pulled out her knife, and jumped down on him, covering his mouth with one hand, and slitting his throat with the other. She knew that she had to do this quietly. As the man struggled to breathe, gurgling on his own blood, Anna dragged his body over into a corner, and covered it with hay. She was hoping she could escape without having to draw any attention to herself, so she crept quietly to her horse. Carefully, she got onto the horse, and quietly signaled him to move. The horse slowly began to walk out of the stables. She couldn't see the other men, but knew that they were definitely still around somewhere. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she signaled the horse to start to run. However, before he could take off, a shot rang out above her head. One of the men had spotted her. "I've got her!" he cried, firing another shot. Anna ducked her head, grabbed her pistol, and fired two shots at the man, one shot hitting him in the chest, the other in his head. Before she could see his dead body hit the ground, the two men came outside to join the other man, and started firing their rifles at her. "Shoot her! Shoot her!" one of them cried. As bullets rang out, Anna sped off, firing her own rounds back at them. She was still very much in pain from the wolf attack, and her wounds felt like they were on fire, but now was not the time to dwell on that. She had to escape the Duke's men, and find Elsa. The princess worried that her older sister was in trouble, which wasn't surprising considering the fact that the Duke's men were chasing after her.

Anna looked back behind her to see the three men galloping after her, firing multiple rounds at them. Taking her hands off the reins, Anna reached into her bandolier, and pulled out six more bullets to reload. Reloading a pistol, and trying to steer a horse, all the while avoid getting shot was no easy feat. Anna's blood pumped as she struggled to place each bullet in the chamber. One of the men finally caught up to her just as she loaded the final bullet. Without wasting a second, Anna cocked the hammer, and shot the man off his horse, killing him instantly. Another man approached her, Anna fired two more rounds at him, sending him to the same fate. With one man remaining, and Anna still clueless as to where Elsa was, she knew that she had to change tactics. As the man approached her, Anna aimed for the horse instead of the man. She fired one shot into its head, which killed it instantly, sending the man tumbling downward. When the horse fell, Anna rode back to see the damage done. Just as she had hoped, the horse was dead, but the man was still alive, trapped underneath the horse.

He screamed in pain as the weight of the horse crushed his legs. Anna slowly approached him, gun drawn, and furious.

"Where is my sister?" she demanded.

"Go to hell!" the man snarled.

Anna fired another round close to the man's head. "I'm going to ask you again. Where is my sister?"

Anna put another few bullets into her pistol, and crouched down beside the man. "If you think your horse is causing you pain, you haven't seen anything yet."

She fired a round into the man's stomach, causing him to scream in pain. "Let's try this again, shall we? Where is my sister?"

"She's alive…she's being kept in our camp nearby," the man stuttered.

Anna took out the map from her pocket, along with her knife. She placed the handle of the knife in the man's mouth, and held the map out in front of him. "Now you're going to mark it on the map, and it better be the right place or you're going to really learn the meaning of the word pain."

The man, now terrified, and in agonizing pain, touched a spot on the map with the knife, before spitting it out. "Right there. I swear to God that's it."

Anna believed him. She put the knife, and map back into the pocket of her torn up dress. She decided not to kill the man. It was getting to be dark. The wolves would probably get to him eventually. Getting back on her horse, Anna sped in the direction where the man said the camp was. Time for her to save her sister.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed the action in this chapter. I wanted to show how fiercely loyal Anna is to Elsa, how she would do anything for her, just like Elsa would for her. Next chapter will be Elsa's time to shine, however. And it's going to be fun. Stay tuned!**


	19. Reunited

Chapter 19:

Reunited

* * *

Elsa focused all her concentration into freezing the shackles off, but it wasn't working. These weren't like the shackles that she was imprisoned in back in Arendelle. "Come on, you can do this," she whispered to herself. "You have too. Anna is counting on you." For the next hour, Elsa tried to break free from the shackles, barely making a crack in the steel. Why couldn't she break free? Her powers were strong, much stronger than any man-made device. Once her hands were free, she could break through the steel cage with no problem at all. Concentrate, don't lose focus. These shackles have to give way sometime. Elsa could feel the ice emerge from her veins into her fingertips. She took a deep breath, and focused all her energy into blasting straight through. Slowly, cracks began to form in the shackles, and ice emerged. Within seconds, both shackles containing her hands were covered in ice. She took one last deep breath, and put all her energy into her hands, causing the shackles to explode with ice.

"Yes!" Elsa cried. Now all she had to do was break the lock on the door to the cage, and…

The door to the shed opened, and in walked in one of the Duke's men. Elsa was frozen with fear as she met the man eye to eye. The man chuckled when he saw that Elsa's hands were free. "You're going to get it now, witch," the man started to turn on his heel, probably going to call for backup. Without thinking twice, Elsa spoke up. "Wait! You don't to do that!"

The man stopped. "Why's that, Queen Elsa?"

"Because if you let the rest of the men know that I broke out of my shackles, you won't get the treasure all to yourself," Elsa said, thinking quickly.

The man was curious as to what Elsa was talking about. "What do you mean?"

Elsa smiled seductively. "Don't you want to keep all the treasure for yourself?"

"You're crazy, lady."

"You're not like the rest of them. I can see it in your eyes. There's goodness in your heart. You don't want to hurt me and my sister."

"I work for the Duke and Prince Hans, not you, witch."

"But don't you want to know where the treasure is?" Elsa asked.

The man became interested again. He walked up to the cage, and looked inquisitively at Elsa.

"Doesn't your sister have the map?" he asked.

"No. We destroyed it. It was too risky to carry it with us in case one of us was captured."

"Then how do you know where do go?"

"I memorized the map, and the journal. I know both of them like the back of my hand. Let me out of this cage, and I'll lead you straight to the treasure. When we find it, it's all yours. Hans and the Duke of Weselton won't get a single coin of it.

The man came eye to eye with Elsa, staring deep into her sapphire blue orbs. If what Elsa said was true, then he could return home a rich man. Moreover, he would actually get to make love to the Queen of Arendelle if he wanted too. It was no secret that she was beautiful. She was beyond beautiful; she was exotic. There would be a way for them to escape. He would steal one of the horses, and together they'd ride off to find the treasure. He didn't have to return to Weselton. He could start a life somewhere else. The man didn't have a family, no one to look after. The treasure would be his to indulge in. He'd never have to work again, because he'd be set for life. Not to mention, he'd have the Queen of Arendelle all to himself.

"Do you mean that?" the man asked.

"Of course I do. As long as my sister can come with us, I'll show you the treasure, and give you everything and more," Elsa said, putting her arm through the bars of the cage, and gently stroking the man's hand with her fingers.

Goosebumps overcame the man's body. This was an opportunity too good to pass on. He took the keys out of his pocket, and unlocked the cage. When Elsa emerged, the man smiled.

"Now before we leave, let's have a little taste of what's to come," he said, taking off his belt.

The man didn't take two steps before Elsa unleashed an icy blast from her hands, freezing the man solid. Now a figure in a solid block of ice, Elsa smiled at herself. The quick thinking on her part had earned her freedom.

Now to find Anna before the rest of the Duke's men do, she thought.

* * *

Elsa quietly crept out of the shed, and gave a quick look around. Hans and the Duke had turned a small campground into a military compound. All around her were dozens of soldiers, all of which were armed. At the moment, they weren't paying attention to where Elsa was being held. They were situated around the fire, trying to get warm. To her right, Elsa saw two of the horses tied to a tree. She could take out all the men right now including Hans and the Duke, which would ensure their safety from them from here on out, but that would take too long. She needed to get to Anna before any of them did. In Anna's wounded state, she was extremely vulnerable, and they would surely kill her. She would deal with Hans and the Duke once she was reunited with her sister.

Quietly, Elsa crept over to the horses, and took one of the reins in her hand. The horse started to bray at the stranger handling it, but Elsa quietly shushed him.

"It's OK," she said. "We're going to go for a little ride."

Elsa got onto the back of the horse, and signaled it to walk slowly out of the camp, out of eyesight of the men. As she began to enter the clearing, she heard a gunshot ring out over her head. Elsa looked to her right to see one of the Duke's men aiming a rifle at her.

"The Queen's escaping!" he cried.

Before he could fire another round, another shot rang out, but not from the man. He dropped his rifle, and fell to the ground, bleeding from his head. Elsa held her hands up, ready to fight whoever shot the man. However, it wasn't an enemy that killed the man. Elsa's eyes widened in surprise as she saw the person riding towards her.

Anna rode up alongside her with a rifle in one of her hands. "Looks like I arrived just in time," she said.

"Anna! What are you doing here? You should be in bed getting rest! You're injured!" Elsa cried.

Anna nodded. "Yes, and believe me it hurts like you wouldn't believe, but that's not important right now. We have to get out of here!"

Elsa couldn't help but chuckle at the sight before her. Anna was a lot stronger than she gave her credit for.

"Ok. Let's go."

"There they are!" a voice called out.

Closing in from behind them, a dozen or more of the Duke's men came riding up.

"You want to do the honors or shall I," Anna asked.

"I'll take care of it. You've done enough," Elsa said.

Elsa waved her hands in front of her, sending a blast of ice and snow towards the men. In seconds, they were buried in a mountain of snow.

"Go now!" Elsa cried

The sisters rode towards the mountains in the distance. They didn't care if they were heading in the right direction, they would worry about that later. Once in the mountains, they decided to lay low for a while. They would be back in action soon enough, but for now they needed time to lick their wounds. Chasing this treasure was proving to be more than it was worth. They were greatly outnumbered, and even with Elsa's powers, and the fact that they had already killed dozens of men in self-defense, they were still fighting for their lives. Elsa looked at Anna. Despite her wounds, Anna still looked determined. She gritted her teeth together, ignoring the pain, and continued to press forward. Her little sister was so strong, and so brave. Elsa wished she was half the woman her sister was. Up in the mountains at night, it was very cold. Even though Elsa didn't mind it, she could tell that Anna was struggling to keep warm. The Snow Queen gently pulled her into her arms, and wrapped them tight around her. "Thank you, Elsa," Anna muttered.

"You're welcome, Anna," Elsa replied.

As the cold wind blew high in the mountains, the sisters drifted off to sleep. They didn't know what lay next for them in their adventure, but whatever it was, one thing was for certain: they weren't going down without a fight.

* * *

 **A/N: As I said in the description, this adventure would test the sisters' physical limits, their resolve, and what they're willing to do to keep each other safe. Next chapter will be a sisterly one, and it will touch on some important themes. Stay tuned! And thank you all for the wonderful reviews!**


	20. On the Inside

Chapter 20:

On the Inside

* * *

After spending a night in the chilly mountains, Anna and Elsa continued their journey towards France. They were currently in Germany, a country that the two had heard a lot about as children, but never thought they'd actually be going there. The two passed through several small villages, and bought more supplies. While stopping in a store selling firearms, a vendor persuaded Anna to purchase a weapon she had never seen or heard or before.

"We Germans created it," he said, boastfully. "It's called a blunderbuss. The weapon is unique in that it fires multiple lead balls at once as opposed to one shot with a Hawken rifle. It's really easy to reload too, especially on horseback. The shots also spread pretty far too."

Anna took blunderbuss in her hands, and examined it. It was slightly smaller than her rifle, and was made of steel. The shop keeper allowed her a chance to test fire the gun outside in a small rifle range that he set up.

"I'm warning you, it's going to kick like hell," he said.

"I'm used to it," Anna said, holding the blunderbuss up to her shoulder, and aiming at a series of clay jugs that were set up at the end of the range. Anna squeezed the trigger, causing multiple lead balls to propel from the barrel of the gun, obliterating all the clay jugs in front of her. The recoil from the blast was way more powerful than Anna expected. The blast sent her flying backwards onto the ground. Elsa raced over to Anna to see if her sister was alright.

"Anna, Anna, are you OK?" Maybe you shouldn't use this gun. I think it's too strong for you."

Anna stood up, and brushed the dirt off her dress. "Are you kidding? That was great! Hans and the Duke don't have anything like this! I just need to practice more that's all."

She turned to the shopkeeper. "I'll take it."

* * *

Later that evening, Anna and Elsa stayed at an inn in the village. The guests were allowed to sit in the parlor if they wished, and warm up by the fire that the innkeeper had lit. At the moment, Anna was looking in a mirror on the wall beside the fireplace. She examined the wounds on her neck, arms, and chest. They were hideous: they would surely become scars. Looking at her wounds, Anna thought about how she looked as a woman. She always knew that she would never be as pretty as Elsa, but she was happy with her looks nonetheless. However, now she was ugly as sin. Any man that looked at her would surely turn his head in disgust. A princess wasn't supposed to be covered in scars! She was supposed to be beautiful! Scars weren't beautiful! They were ugly! She was ugly.

When Anna couldn't bear the sight of looking at herself any more, she threw herself down on the coach, and began to cry. A few minutes later, Elsa entered the parlor after making sure the horses were taken care of. When she saw Anna crying, Elsa immediately ran to her side.

"Anna! What's wrong? Are you hurt?" she asked, concerned.

"Leave me alone, Elsa," Anna whimpered. She didn't bother lifting her head from the pillow.

"Anna, something is wrong, please tell me what it is?" Elsa said, gently coaxing her sister.

"Go away! Don't look at me!" Anna cried.

Now Elsa knew how it must have felt to Anna when she was turned away every time she knocked on her door for thirteen years. It hurt to say the least. But the sisters vowed to never turn each other away again. They promised to be together through thick and thin. Anna was always there for Elsa whenever she needed a shoulder to cry on, now it was Elsa's turn to do the same for her.

"Please, Anna, tell me what's wrong. You know I don't like to see you upset."

Anna slowly lifted her head, and brushed the tears out of her eyes. "I'm hideous," she mumbled.

"What? Why in the world would you say such a thing? You're beautiful!" Elsa cried.

"Don't lie to me! And don't try to cheer me up either! You're not blind. You see the scars," Anna whimpered.

Elsa knew instantly what she was referring too. She slowly pulled Anna close to her, and kissed her on the cheek. "Anna, that wasn't your fault. Those wolves attacked you. You didn't ask for this."

"Of course I didn't ask for this!" Anna cried. "That doesn't make it any better. I'm covered in these hideous scars, which makes me hideous. No man will ever look at me the same way again! And Kristoff, he'll probably dump me as soon as he sees me. No man wants to be with an ugly woman, especially one who looks like me."

Anna threw her head back down onto the pillow, crying profusely.

Elsa thought carefully how to approach the subject. Anna was upset; she needed her now more than ever. Elsa gently lifted Anna from the coach, and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

Two long claw marks adorned her face, both red and raw. On her arms there more marks, which stretched all the way to her neck and chest. To be honest, Anna was lucky to be alive after such a brutal encounter. Truth be told, they were both lucky to still be alive at all.

"Anna, don't ever think for a second that you're not beautiful. It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside, it's what's on inside that counts. And as far as I'm concerned, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met: inside and out.

"But what about the scars? What will Kristoff think?"

Elsa smiled. "Anna, Kristoff loves you for who you are, not for what you look like. He won't care about the scars nor will anyone else. The people who love you love just as you are. No matter what you look like, we'll always love you. You're Anna, and that's what we love! Nothing will ever change that."

"And for the record, any man would kill to have a woman like you. A compassionate, beautiful princess who is an expert marksman, man, we'd have line of men from the castle all the way to the docks just to spend five minutes with you."

Anna smiled. Elsa's words were beyond comforting. Any thoughts she had on her scars started to fade. Elsa was right. She was beautiful just the way she was, and if people couldn't see that, then that was their problem.

"Thank you, Elsa. Thank you so much," Anna said, happy tears streaming from her eyes.

Elsa smiled, and pulled Anna close to her. "Of course, Anna. I meant every word. You're beautiful just the way you are, and don't you ever forget it."

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you've enjoyed this short sisterly chapter, which touched on an important theme. It's true: it's not what's on the outside that matters, it's what's on the inside the counts. By the way, the blunderbuss is one of the early forms of a shotgun, and it was developed in Germany in the early 1800s. Just a little bit of history for you. Till next time!**


	21. Collateral Damage

Chapter 21:

Collateral Damage

* * *

After digging what men were left out of the snow from Elsa's attack, Hans carefully planned his next move. Anna and Elsa had killed dozens of their men since they started out on their journey, but they still had plenty leftover. However, Hans could tell that that the men remaining were beginning to question the point of this mission. He overheard several men talk about the velocity of Elsa's powers, and the top shot that Anna had become. They seemed frightened at the possibility of ending up with the same fate as their comrades. Hans dismissed these fears as childishness. Elsa may be powerful, and Anna may be a worthy opponent in her own right, but Hans was certain that he and the rest of the Duke's men could take them. The youngest prince of the Southern Isles surveyed the damage done to the campsite. Twenty men were dead, five wagons destroyed, and one of their fire spraying machines severely damaged as well. They had definitely been wounded, no doubt about it. But as far as Hans was concerned, this was all collateral damage, nothing they couldn't bounce back from.

As he looked over a map of the area, the Duke of Weselton came storming up to him.

"Twenty men! Twenty men those vile women killed! Prince Hans, this little quest of yours is proving to be more trouble than it's worth. The men of mine who are still alive wish to return home at once!" the Duke cried. "As do I!"

Hans put down the map, and glared at the Duke. "After all that those women did, as far as we've come, you want to give up and go home! Have you lost your senses, old man!"

"I still have my senses, thank you very much. I question whether you have yours!" the Duke snarled.

"We are only a week away from France, which means we're a week away from finding the first half of the amulet. After that, only one more to go, and we'll know exactly where King Nicholas hid his treasure," Hans argued.

"That is if Queen Elsa and Princess Anna don't get to it first," the Duke remarked.

Hans walked face to face with the Duke, breathing heavily on his face. "Listen to me, old man, I won't rest until that treasure is ours. Do you really want all of this to be for nothing? Do you really want the deaths of your men to be all in vain? I'm done having this discussion with you. We're moving on! End of story! Before you know it, you'll be heading back to your kingdom a more prosperous man than you were when you left. Not to mention, you'll have all the glory. You'll be the one who found the long, lost treasure of King Nicholas. People will be writing about you for decades to come! You'll be a legend."

The Duke thought of reading his name in one of the history books. The Duke of Weselton the one who found the treasure of King Nicholas. His name would go down in history all right. For the rest of time whenever people spoke of him, they would speak of his incredible accomplishments.

Hans was also right about another thing. The deaths of his men should not go in vain. The Duke knew that Queen Elsa was a menace, and her sister was no better. If he killed those two, he would be doing the world a favor, saving it from their menace. Hans was right. The trip may have taken a huge toll on them, but they couldn't give up. He'd never be able to live with himself if that witch and her blasted sister indulged themselves in thousands of coins, and jewels. The treasure may have belonged to their ancestor, but that didn't mean that they deserved it. A person with Elsa's destructive capabilities certainly didn't. The only thing that witch deserved was a dagger through her heart.

"So what do you say, old man, how about we finish this once and for all?" Hans said, extending his hand for the Duke to shake.

The Duke narrowed his brow, gritted his teeth, and firmly shook Hans' hand.

"Prince Hans, I'll go round up the rest of my men," he said.

When the Duke left, Hans smiled brightly. He always took pride in his ability to manipulate people. He twisted Anna's mind so that she played right into his hands, and now he was doing the same with the Duke. Without the old man's help, he wouldn't stand a chance against the sisters. The Duke had the muscle, but he had the brains. As long as he kept the Duke believing that he would be going home with his share of the treasure, everything would be alright. Still, the reality of Elsa's powers began to dawn on him. They were very powerful, no doubt about it. He had to find a way to use her to his advantage.

Hans remembered how Elsa reacted when he told her that Anna had been killed by her out on the fjord a year ago. Instantly, the storm stopped, and she was vulnerable. If he could get her in that state again, he would have power over her. In order to do that, however, he needed to have Anna at his mercy. Simply killing the princess wouldn't make Elsa obey him. If Anna were dead, then Elsa would have no reason to go on. She wouldn't listen to him at all. Anna meant everything to Elsa. If Hans had Anna as his prisoner, and promised to release her if Elsa backed off and obeyed him, then the problem would be solved. Elsa would do whatever he wanted as long as she thought that Anna would remain unharmed. The die had been cast, the ball set in motion. There was no time to waste.

* * *

 **A/N: I wanted to show how calculating, and manipulative Hans is in this chapter. Greed has obviously consumed him as you can probably tell. The first half of the sisters' journey is almost over, but there's still a long way to go!**


	22. The Dover Mansion

Chapter 22

The Dover Mansion

* * *

The next few days were arduous for the sisters. After all they had encountered on their journey, they were constantly on edge, and carefully examining everything to make sure it wasn't going to harm them. Since their escape from Hans' camp, Elsa had become more determined than ever to find the treasure. This surprised Anna, considering how just a few weeks ago she suggested that they quit. The encounters they had Hans, the Duke and his men must be the driving force behind her persistence. The Snow Queen examined the map carefully, running her finger down the parchment.

"If we take this road here, it'll lead straight to the Dover Mansion. That's where we'll find the first half of the amulet," Elsa said in a matter of fact tone of voice.

"Let's just hope Hans and the Duke haven't gotten their first," Anna said, worried of the possible outcome.

"If they stand in the way between us and the treasure, I'll freeze them till their bones shatter into a million pieces," Elsa said through gritted teeth.

Anna's eyes widened. She had never heard Elsa talk this way before. She too was also determined to get to the treasure before Hans, and was more than willing to defend herself if need be, but she had never heard such a dark tone in Elsa before. Maybe it was because of all that they had went through since they left Arendelle. This journey hadn't been the smoothest sailing to say the least. It was honestly a miracle that they were still alive. Perhaps all the hardships that they had been through had fueled Elsa's desire to find the treasure. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger they say.  
Anna reached over from her horse, and patted Elsa on the back. "Whatever happens, we'll get through it together," Anna said.  
Elsa smiled. "Yep. Sisters working side by side. Hans and the Duke don't stand a chance."

They followed the road down as far as it went. At the end, they saw fewer and fewer trees, and an abandoned mansion at the end. What must have once been a forest, and somebody's home was now a desolate wasteland.

They got off their horses, and slowly approached the mansion. Time had taken its toll on the place. Vines covered the walls, windows were broken, a large hole was in the roof, and the grass surrounding the front lawn had long since died.

"This place has seen better days," Anna observed.

"No kidding," Elsa agreed.

"So what is so special about this place?" Anna asked.

"It was the home of Charles Dover, and he was a good friend of King Nicholas. He frequently visited him here in his home over the years. The two would often go hunting together as well as play games like chess. Charles Dover was a very scholarly man. In his journal, Nicholas talks about how much he enjoyed his company. He even went as far as to say that Charles Dover was the smartest man he'd ever met," Elsa explained.

"So what happened to Dover?" Anna asked.

"Well, he died a few years after Nicholas did. When he died, his estate was given to his only son, Paul. However, Paul didn't live long enough to really enjoy the house on his own. He died of consumption two years after his father died. He didn't have any children either, so there was no one to bequeath the house too."

"What about Dover's wife?"

"She divorced him a few years before he died. By the time of his death, she had remarried, and was living in an estate in Germany."

"Couldn't they just have sold it, then?"

"They tried, but no one had enough money to buy such a place. Nor did they want too from what I understand. Charles Dover may have been a very intelligent man, and a good friend of Nicholas' but he wasn't the nicest person in the world. There were many people in the nearby village who couldn't stand the Dover's. They thought they were arrogant, and snooty."

"I could see why that would drive a wedge between them," Anna commented. "So any idea where exactly in the mansion the amulet is located?"

Elsa shook her head. "No clue. Nicholas didn't say specifically where he hid this half of the amulet. All he wrote was that it's hidden here somewhere in the mansion."

"This is going to be harder than I thought," Anna moaned.

"Well, we're not going to solve it just standing around. Let's go inside," Elsa said.

Anna and Elsa pushed on the old wooden doors, which creaked across the floor as they swung open. Inside, the mansion looked even worse. Debris was scattered all over the floor, grime and vines covered the walls, and animals seemed to have taken over. They saw a rat run across the floor upon entering. The staircases which were once grand and prosperous had withered away to the point where the wood was chipping off.

Anna began the ascent upstairs to look for the amulet, not paying attention to just how old the stairs were. Before Elsa could call out to her, one of the stairs gave way, and Anna felt straight through. The fall was a lot farther than she thought. When Anna hit the ground, she looked back up to see that not only had she fallen through the staircase, she had fallen through the floor as well. At the height that she fell from, there was no way she would be getting back up the way she came.

"Anna! Anna! Are you alright?" Elsa called out frantically.

Anna stood up, and wiped the dust off her dress. "Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled. "The fall hurt like you wouldn't' believe, but I'll live."

"Hold on, I'm going to create a ladder made of ice for you to climb up," Elsa said.

"No, no, don't trouble yourself, Elsa. I think I'm going to explore down here for a while, and see if I can find the amulet. You check the ground floor. I'll make my way up to you."

"How are you going to get back up then?" Elsa asked.

"I've probably just fallen into another part of the house. I'm sure there's a way to get back to the ground floor," Anna reassured.

Elsa didn't like the idea of them being separated, but Anna was probably right. There had to be a way to get back up.

"Ok. I'm going to search around here for a while. Make your way back up to me as soon as possible," Elsa said.

"Will do."

Anna started to walk around the darkened room. Sunlight poured in through one of the windows, giving her enough light to see where she was going. From the looks of it, she had fallen into the basement. Large crates littered the area with cobwebs covering them.

Maybe the amulet is in one of these, she thought.

Anna examined the crate, trying to figure out how to open it. As she moved her hand along the wood, she saw a large black spider situated on the top.

"Ah! Get away" she cried. Anna didn't like spiders at all. They were so creepy. Ok. There was no way she was touching one of those crates again.

Anna looked ahead, and saw a staircase leading out of the basement. She carefully put one foot in front of the other, praying that she didn't fall through again. When she got to the top, she saw that she was in the kitchen or what was left of a kitchen. Broken glass, dirt, and debris covered the entire floor, and the counter was filthy beyond belief. "This place could use some major renovations," she said.

"Elsa! Elsa! Are you there," Anna called out. She walked out of the kitchen back into what she guessed was the parlor. From the doorway on the other side, Elsa popped her head out.

"Over here! I think we might find something in this room," she said.

Anna joined Elsa in the other room, which turned out to be an old library. Even though it had been many years, all the old books were still on the shelves. A fireplace was in the middle of the room, just as filthy as the rest of the mansion.

"You think he hid the amulet in the library?" Anna asked.

"Possibly," Elsa said, taking a book off the shelf, and looking through it. "It might be behind one of these books."

"Well, if it is, then it's going to take us a long time to get through all of them. There are a lot of books in here," Anna noted.

"Yeah, but I've got a good feeling about this room," Elsa explained. "Keep looking. Let me know if you find anything."

Anna pulled out over a dozen books on the shelves, but nothing was behind any of them. Elsa insisted that there has to be a clue somewhere in this room. Maybe King Nicholas had Dover staff a piece of paper with the location of the amulet in one of the books.

As Elsa looked through another book, Anna examined the fireplace. It had definitely seen better days that's for sure. Still, she could imagine Charles Dover and King Nicholas sitting by the fire talking to each other like good friends do. On wall just above the mantle, she noticed that there was a spot with a different coat of paint than the rest of the room. That's odd, she thought. Why would you paint only one segment of the wall one color?

Anna ran her hand over the light green spot on the wall, and noticed that it felt soft, really soft. It was almost like you could push it in.

"Elsa! Come take a look at this," Anna called out to her sister.

Anna showed Elsa the light green spot just above the mantelpiece. She agreed that it was strange, but that didn't necessarily mean anything.

"Maybe he had the room painted one color, and then decided to paint it a different color later, and missed a spot," Elsa suggested. "I don't think it's anything significant."

"But then why is it so soft?" Anna asked.

"It's an old house, Anna. This whole place is falling apart," Elsa explained.

Anna pressed harder onto the light green segment, and slowly the wall began to sink in.

Suddenly, there was a small rumbling sound. Anna stepped back from the fireplace, and watched as the wall and the fireplace turned sideways, revealing a secret passage.

"Ha! I told you there was something funny about it," Anna cried triumphantly.

"Don't forget, I was the one who thought there was something worth checking out in this room," Elsa reminded her.

"True. Let's go check it out," Anna said.

The sisters squeezed through the small entrance, and saw a staircase leading downward. However, it was pitch dark. There was no light whatsoever.

"Hey I got an idea," Anna said.

She removed a pack of matches that she had bought off a merchant a few days ago. She gave one match to Elsa, and one for herself, and the two struck the matches on the mantle, lighting them instantly.

"It's not the best light, but at least we'll be able to see where we're going," Anna said.

"Good thinking, Anna. Let's go check it out," Elsa said.

The sisters slowly descended the staircase, holding their matches out in front of them so they could see. When they got to the end, they saw a large door in front of them.

Anna tried to push the door opened, but needed some help.

"Come help me with this," she said.

Elsa pushed on the door with her shoulder, and with enough effort it swung open. However, on the other side was not the most pleasant sight in the world.

"Is that a coffin?" Anna said, pointing to the middle of the room.

Elsa nodded. "It would appear so."

The two walked up to the coffin, using their matches to help them see it better.

"I got a crazy idea," Anna said.

"What's that?"

"What if the amulet is in the coffin?"

Elsa groaned in disgust. "I really don't want to open that thing. I don't want to see a dead body."

"Well, what if the amulet is there?" Anna insisted.

"Anna, why would Nicholas put half of the amulet in a coffin?"

"Because this is probably the coffin of Charles Dover?" Anna said.

Elsa hadn't thought of that. If Nicholas were to entrust half of the amulet with anyone, it would be with Charles Dover.

Elsa sighed. "Ok. But let's make this quick. This thing is probably going smell awful."

"Ok. I'll get it open. Here, hold my match," Anna said, handing her match to Elsa.

The princess felt around for the handles, and noticed that there was a lock on the coffin.

"Are you kidding me? Who locks a coffin?" she cried.

"Probably so that no one will disturb the deceased. You know, rest in peace?" Elsa suggested.

"That only makes me even surer that the amulet is here. But we need to get this lock off. I got an idea."

"You're sure full of ideas today," Elsa commented.

"Hey, I'm a thinker. It's what I do," Anna said, smiling. "Hold the light over the lock," she instructed.

Elsa did so, giving Anna enough light to see. Anna pulled out her pistol, and aimed it at the lock. "Let's hope this works."

She fired one shot, and instantly the lock came off.

"Haha! It worked!" Anna cried.

"Nice job," Elsa said.

"Thank you. Now to see what's inside."

Anna slowly lifted the lid of the coffin. Just as Elsa predicted, the smell that emerged was foul. Both sisters winced in disgust as they looked at the dead body inside. It was a skeleton by now, but the putrid odor still lingered.

"So that's Charles Dover I presume?" Anna said, trying to ignore the smell.

"It would appear so," Elsa said.

"Elsa, look!" Anna cried.

On Charles' neck lay half of the amulet. It was crescent shaped, so it was easy to tell that it was only one half.

Anna picked it up, and held it to Elsa for light.

"This is it!" Elsa cried. "This is half of the amulet."

"What do you make of it?" Anna asked.

"Well, it's got some sort of insignia on it," Elsa noticed. "But without the other half, I have no idea what it is."

"Well, then, let's head to England and get the other half!" Anna said.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps," Elsa said.

As the sisters started to walk towards the door, out of the shadows they saw another light, several lights actually. All coming from various torches. However, these lights weren't just alone, they had carriers. Out of the shadows emerged what Anna and Elsa hoped to never see again.

"Hello, ladies," Hans said. Through the light of the torch, they could see him smiling. Beside him was the Duke of Weselton and two of his men, both armed with pistols. Even Hans himself, held a pistol in one hand.

"Marvelous work finding the first half of the amulet. You two are really treasure hunters, aren't' you?" Hans said.

Anna went to draw her pistol, and Elsa readied to fire a blast of ice, but the men with guns fired a round above their heads as warning not to do so.

"I wouldn't recommend that," Hans said.

"Damn it," Anna said.

"Daniel, please retrieve the amulet from Princess Anna," Hans instructed one of the men.

Daniel walked closer to Anna. She took a look at Elsa, and wondered why her sister wasn't doing anything to stop them. Well, if she wasn't going to do something, then she would. There was no way she was going to let these bastards have the amulet.

"Yeah, Daniel, come get it," Anna teased.

As soon as Daniel was close enough, Anna grabbed his rifle with both hands, trying to pry it off him, but before she could manage, Hans fired a single shot from his pistol, hitting Anna in the shoulder.

"Ah!" Anna cried out.

"Now it's not really worth dying over, is it?" Hans asked. "Your sister doesn't think so."

Through gritted teeth, Anna looked at Elsa who stood there with the match; a defeated look on her face. Elsa didn't want to risk anything by attacking them now. Once they were outside, they would hit them where it hurt, but for now they needed to play along.

"Come on, Anna," Elsa gently coaxed.

Anna begrudgingly handed over the amulet to Daniel, who then gave it to Hans.

"Thank you. Now I must be heading off now. You ladies have a nice day," Hans said. Once they had left, he locked the large door behind them.

"Are you alright?" Elsa asked.

Anna held a hand on her shoulder where she was shot. "I'll be fine. It hurts like hell though. At least now I know what it's like to be shot."

Elsa ripped off a piece of her dress, and wrapped it around Anna's arm. "That should stop the bleeding. When we get outside, I'll remove the bullet."

"Elsa! Why didn't you stop them! You could have frozen them solid!"

"They caught us off guard, Anna. I wasn't going to risk getting killed. Don't worry, once we get out of here, we'll get the amulet back," Elsa promised.

Anna nodded. "Fine. But I still think we could have taken them," Anna said.

"Whatever. Let's just get out of here first," Elsa said.

The Snow Queen stood back, and cast a powerful blast of ice knocking the door off its hinges. They made their way back upstairs into the library.

"There's something I don't understand," Anna said. "Why didn't they kill us?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Elsa said. "Let's get out of here as fast as possible."

As they were about to exit the library, they heard someone speak. They hid behind one of the bookcases, and listened.

"Burn the whole place down!" they heard Hans yell. "Make sure those two don't leave this place alive."

"Oh, no. Anna, we have to get out of here!" Elsa said.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, the first part of the amulet has been found, and it's unfortunately in Hans' possession, but there is still a long way to go on this journey. Anything can happen.**


	23. Into the Fire

Chapter 23:

Into the Fire

* * *

When the Duke's men closed the doors to the mansion, they barricaded them to prevent Anna and Elsa from escaping. Outside, Hans ordered the men to bring up the fire spraying machine, and with three continuous shots, set the mansion on fire. Inside, Anna and Elsa tried to get the door open to no avail. Elsa spotted the fire quickly engulfing their surroundings. Realizing that time was at an essence, she looked around for another way to escape.

"Anna, we need to find another way out of here!" she cried.

Anna looked around frantically for another exit, all the while trying to not breathe in too much smoke. "How about the windows?"

"No. The fire is blocking them on this floor. We need to get higher. Maybe we can get out of one of the windows upstairs," Elsa answered.

Elsa led the way up the staircase. The fire spraying machine was really doing a number on the mansion. The old wood burned like crazy, inching its way closer to the sisters with each passing second. When they got to the second floor, Anna and Elsa saw that the fire blocked the hallway leading to the bedrooms. By now the smoke was overwhelming. The sisters were coughing heavily as they tried to look for another way out.

"If we don't get out of here, we're going to burn to death," Anna coughed.

Elsa could tell that the smoke was starting to take its toll on her. They had to get out of here before they died of smoke inhalation or burned to death. Either fate, would be awful.

Anna and Elsa ran upstairs to the third floor, hoping to get there before the fire reached it. By now the entire ground floor, and second floor were engulfed in flames. The heat from the fire caused the wooden stairs to crack, and the pressure from the sisters' feet only added to the deterioration. Before Anna could reach the third floor, the staircase gave way, and Anna fell through.

The princess grabbed the edge of the staircase with all her might. Below her she could see the flames consuming the entire mansion. They were slowly rising, she could feel the heat from them on her skin.

"Elsa! Help! I'm slipping!" Anna cried.

Anna's fingers started to slide down the wooden staircase. She dug her fingernails in as hard as she could, but the intense heat was causing the wood to break apart. Any second now she would fall.

Elsa conjured a pole made of ice for Anna to grab onto, but it was quickly melted by the heat.

Elsa grew more worried as Anna continued to dangle above the flames. She couldn't reach Anna from where she was at, but there was another way she could save her. She laid down, and reached her hand out to Anna as far as she could.

"Anna, you're going to have to jump towards me!" Elsa cried.

"I don't think I can make it," Anna cried, frantically. The wooden board that she was holding onto cracked. Another minute, and Anna would fall into the fire.

"Anna, you have to trust me. Please! I won't let you fall!"

Looking at Elsa's extended hand, Anna knew that Elsa wouldn't let her fall. It was scary, but there was no other way. Anna threw her body towards Elsa, and streteched both of her hands out towards her.

Elsa caught Anna's arms, pulling her up onto what was left of the staircase. "I got you," Elsa cried, happily.

"Great. Now let's go!" Anna yelled.

They ran into one of the bedrooms where they found an open window. Outside they saw a gutter that they could use to slide down.

"Ready when you are," Anna said.

Elsa climbed out the window, wrapped her legs around the gutter, and slid down. Anna followed suit, eager to get the ground. As she slid, the gutter broke off the side of the mansion, sending Anna plummeting towards the ground.

"Anna!" Elsa screamed.

From below, Elsa saw what was happening. She conjured up a large pile of snow right below her. Anna hit the pile at full speed. She quickly bounced back up, and ran towards her sister.

"Are you OK?" Elsa asked, embracing Anna in a tight hug.

"I'm fine. Look out!" Anna cried. Coming up behind Elsa, she saw two of the Duke's men.

Anna stepped back, drew her pistol, and fired two shots at two of the Duke's men, killing them instantly.

Elsa turned around, and looked at the bodies. "Whoa! Thanks for that."

"Don't mention it. They must have stayed behind to make sure we didn't make it out alive," Anna guessed. "I wonder if there are any more of them."

Elsa looked around the area. She didn't see anyone else in sight.

"No. I don't think so. They must have left already."

"Well, come on, let's go after them. We need to get that amulet back!" Anna said.

"Hold on, Anna," Elsa said, stopping her sister in her tracks.

"What?" Anna asked, angrily.

"The bullet in your shoulder?" Elsa said.

Anna looked at her left shoulder. She was so focused on escaping the mansion alive, that the wound she received from Hans didn't cross her mind. Now that she was out, the pain from it was more evident than ever.

"Let me see your knife," Elsa said.

Anna handed Elsa the knife from her pocket. Elsa held one hand over the blade, coating it with a sheet of ice.

"Roll up your sleeve," Elsa said.

Anna did as she was told, grimacing at the sight of the blood pouring from the wound.

Elsa held Anna's arm, taking a glance at the wound herself. "I can see the bullet," she said.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Anna. This is going to hurt. I promise I'll make it quick though," Elsa warned her sister.

It pained her to have to hurt Anna, but she needed to get the bullet out before the wound became infected.

Elsa took the ice covered knife, and slowly inserted it into Anna's wound.

Anna's eyes widened, she gritted her teeth in an effort to ignore the pain. What was only a minute felt like an hour. Elsa dug the knife into the flesh, and slowly cut the bullet out.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Anna cried. "God that hurts!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but it's all over now. Hold pressure on the wound, while I go get some water."

Elsa ran over to where they had parked their horses, only to discover that the horses had run off during the chaos with the fire. All of their bags that contained all of their supplies were gone, including their water skins.

Elsa improvised. She conjured a ball of snow in her hand, melted it into water, and poured it over Anna's wound.

"Ok. I'm going to keep the wound open, alright? In the event of a gunshot wound, the open treatment method is the safest way to manage wounds in a survival situation like this. I'm going to let it drain any pus out for a while. I'll then dress it once the wound has had time to air out." Elsa had read several medical books during her years of isolation. One of them talked about how to treat a gunshot wound. She honestly never thought it would have to use the instructions it gave, but now she was forever thankful that she'd read it.

"Ok. You know best, sis," Anna said. Elsa melted more snow, poured the water onto Anna's wound. Elsa then held pressure onto the wound with a piece of her dress to stop the bleeding. Once it had stopped, Elsa breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright. Now let it air out for a while," Elsa instructed. "In an hour I'll bandage the wound so it won't get infected. Try not to get it dirty until then."

Anna looked out down the road. She couldn't see Hans or any of the Duke's men, but she knew that they had to be nearby. "They couldn't have gotten far. Let's head back the way we came. We'll probably run into them eventually. Plus, it's getting dark out. They'll have to stop and camp for the evening.

"Ok. Just stay behind me, OK? If we run into any more of the Duke's men, you leave them to me," Elsa ordered.

Anna placed a hand on Elsa's shoulder, turning her around. "Elsa, whatever happens, we work together, remember? We're sisters."

Elsa knew that there was no way she could persuade Anna to change her mind. Elsa's main priority was making sure Anna was safe, but Anna was a strong woman; she could handle herself.

"Ok. It's payback time," Elsa said, boldly.

"Amen," Anna said. "Hans and the Duke aren't going to see a single coin of our treasure."

* * *

 **A/N: A nice mixture of sisterly love, and action here. Hope you enjoyed it.**

"


	24. The Drug

Chapter 24:

The Drug

* * *

It had been several hours since they left Anna and Elsa to burn to death in the Dover mansion. As much as Hans believed they would most likely perish in the blaze, he couldn't shake the feeling that the sisters survived. If they had survived everything that they encountered so far on their journey, then it wouldn't surprise him if they survived this too. And if they did, they would hit him and the Duke with all they have. Hans thought he could handle Elsa with her icy powers, but even with an army of soldiers, he still didn't stand a chance. Earlier he had a plan to take Anna hostage, and use her as leverage to prevent Elsa from trying anything. But as protective as Elsa was of Anna, there was no way he'd ever be able to get near her. No. He had to think of something else. Some way that he could use Elsa to his advantage, but how?

The men exited through a thicket of trees to find a caravan parked on the other side. Standing just outside of it, was an old man wearing a purple robe.

"Hello, weary travelers! Would you be interested in purchasing one of my fine items today?" he asked.

Hans shook his head. "No, thank you." He signaled his horse to continue moving forward, but the old man suddenly blocked his path.

"My dear boy, please take a look at my merchandise? You might just find something that interests you."

"I said, no old man, now get out of my way," Hans yelled.

"I guarantee I have some wares that you've never seen before. Things like sleeping spells, healing ointments, hypnotic drugs…

"Wait a minute, what was that?" Hans asked.

"Hypnotic drugs. My own recipe. If a person is injected with it, he or she will be under the command of the one who injected them with the drug. They will do anything they command," the old man explained.

Hans jumped off his horse, and walked close to the man. The idea of the hypnotic drug intrigued him, but there was no way it could be actually real.

"Show me, old man," he commanded.

"Of course, sir. Right this way."

"Prince Hans, we really should be going!" the Duke spoke up.

The old man opened the back door to the caravan, and ushered Hans inside. For such a small place, the caravan was full of many different trinkets, and wares. The old man was practically sitting on a goldmine with some of the merchandise he had with him. But Hans didn't care about any of the items on the walls. The only thing that interested him right now was the so called "hypnotic drug" the old man talked about. The old man pulled a small chest from under the table, and placed it in front of Hans. He opened it, pulled out several bottles of silver liquid, along with some darts. Carefully, the man dipped the tip of one of the darts into the liquid. He then pulled out a small crossbow from under the table, and loaded it with the silver liquid tipped dart.

"Step outside if you will," the old man said.

Hans groaned. He didn't have time to mess around. Deep within him he knew that Anna and Elsa had survived the fire, and were coming for the amulet. If they didn't act soon, Elsa would freeze all of them to kingdom come. Nonetheless, he followed the old man back outside, curious to see if this so called hypnotic drug really worked.

The old man pointed the crossbow at one of the Duke's men, and fired it into his neck. The man shouted in pain, grabbing the dart in his neck, and pulling it out.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" he asked.

"Nothing, boy. Just lay down and go to sleep," the old man said.

The soldier's eyes stared blankly at the old man. He nodded slowly, and laid down on the ground, closing his eyes. The old man could see that Hans was shocked by what he was seeing, and decided to show him more.

"Now boy, get up, and hand me your pistol," the old man commanded.

Instantly the soldier awoke, stood up, unholstered his gun, and handed it to the old man.

"Thank you," the old man said. "You may have it back now."

The solider retrieved his gun, and put it back into his holster. By now Hans couldn't speak. How could such a thing exist? It was like magic! It was better than magic! With something like this he could rule the world. No one would be able to question his orders. They would have to obey him, no matter who they were; even Queen Elsa.

"Old man, I don't know where you got this stuff, but I'll take it," Hans said.

"It's a recipe of my own invention. You're welcome to as much of it as you want. It cost 10 coins per bottle."

Hans smiled. The old man didn't realize the kind of man he was dealing with. "May I see one of those darts, along with the crossbow?"

The old man foolishly handed Hans the items, watching as the prince loaded the crossbow with another dart. He then aimed the crossbow at the old man, firing a single shot into his neck. Within seconds, the old man's pupils dilated; he stared blankly into space, completely unawhere of what was happening.

"Now, where is the recipe for this drug, old man?" Hans asked.

"Under my bed. It's in a small chest. All the ingredients are listed on a slip of paper. With it, you can make as much of the drug as you want."

Hans smiled. Now that he had full access to as much of this drug as possible, he had no use for the old man.

"Thank you. You've been a great help to me," he said.

Hans pulled out his pistol, and shot the man in the head.

The old man fell the ground, bleeding profusely from his head wound. Hans felt no remorse for killing this old man. He meant nothing to him anymore. He had access to the drug, and could make more if he needed too. That was all that mattered.

"The rest of you, retrieve anymore of the drug that's in the caravan as well as the recipe. Quickly now!"

The Duke ran up to Hans, unable to believe what he just witnessed.

"Prince Hans, are you mad! You just murdered a man in cold blood!" he said, pointing the dead man at Hans' feet.

"Relax, old man, it's a necessary evil. With this drug we can turn the tables on this whole affair. Anna and Elsa won't know what hit them."

"Yes, but what do you plan on doing with the drug?" The Duke cried. "I don't see how this is going to help us find the treasure."

"It may not help us find the treasure, but it will turn the odds in our favor," Hans said, smiling.

* * *

 **A/N: What is Hans planning to do with the drug? What does this mean for our favorite sisters? All to come soon.**

 **Happy Holidays everyone!**


	25. Divine Guardian

Chapter 25:

Divine Guardian

* * *

After leaving the burning mansion behind, Anna and Elsa traveled north towards England. Without their horses, the two knew that it would take much longer. Moreover, they knew that they now had a second quest: retrieving the amulet from Hans and the Duke. Elsa promised Anna that the first chance they got to purchase horses, they would take them. The two had enough money on them for additional supplies as well. Both sisters knew that they would need all they could get if they were going up against Hans and the Duke.

Anna clutched her rifle tight within her hands, ready to fire the second she saw one of the Duke's men. It had been three days since they last saw them; they could be anywhere by now. There was no guarantee that they would even run into them again. Elsa held the map out in front of her. Even with horses, Hans and the Duke couldn't have gotten far. Somewhere along the way, they were bound to run into them eventually, and when they did, they would steal back the amulet.

When they came upon an abandoned cathedral situated on the side of the road, Anna and Elsa decided to take a rest. They had been walking for several hours, and their feet were exhausted. Upon entering the cathedral, Anna and Elsa could see that the place had been abandoned for many years. Animals had taken up residence within the walls, and what was left of the altar was covered with dirt and debris.

"I wonder why this place was abandoned," Anna said.

"Who knows? Maybe they built a bigger cathedral elsewhere, and just left this one to rot," Elsa guessed.

She ran her fingers along the alter, trying to imagine what it must have been like during a typical Sunday mass back in the day. Truth be told, Elsa wasn't much of a religious person. It wasn't that she didn't believe or anything like that, she just wasn't sure about it all. In her younger years, she had attended mass, listened to the preacher read from the bible, and give his sermons. At the time she was too young to understand, but as the years went on, and Elsa learned more about God, she began to understand what the bigger picture was all about. God was this divine being who created the world, and everything in it. He worked in mysterious ways, so mysterious that there were many things people didn't understand about Him, even priests. Yet, they were supposed to believe and trust in Him, knowing that He had a plan for every person on this earth.

Still, Elsa was unsure. There were many questions she had regarding the Lord. Why were they here? What was their purpose in life? Was it all the same or did everyone had an individual purpose? More importantly though, why did God allow evil to exist in the world?

Elsa thought about Hans and the Duke, and all the things that they had done to her and Anna since they began their journey. If God is truly this all-knowing being, why didn't he stop them for trying to harm her and Anna? Her father once told her that God gave each and every one of us the gift of choice, to decide how to live their lives. Because of this, he does not intervene with whatever they choose, good or bad. It was a logical explanation, but still it didn't make sense to Elsa. Even if everyone had the gift of choice, if someone chose to do great evil, they should be stopped. Evil should not exist in the world.

Elsa sat down in one of the few pews that was still intact. She gazed up at the alter, still imagining what it was like back in its heyday. Anna took a seat besid her, and stared at the alter too.

"You know, it's nothing short of a miracle that we're still alive," Anna said.

Elsa smiled. "You could say that."

"No really. God must really be looking out for us if we're still alive, and in one piece."

"Do you think there's a God, Anna?" Elsa asked.

Anna turned to Elsa. "I like to think so," she answered. "Don't you?"

"I'm honestly not sure. I like to think so too, but there's still some uncertainty within me. So much that I don't know or understand."

"Well, I'm kind of the same way. I have a lot of questions I wish I could ask God, and I'm sure you do too," Anna replied.

"If there really is a God, then how come so many bad things have happened to us? It seems like ever since childhood, life has been hard for us."

Anna scooted closer to Elsa, wrapping her arm around her. "I know what you mean. It hasn't been easy, that's for sure. But somehow, we've gotten through it, and I think we've become stronger people in doing so."

Elsa agreed. There was a saying that what didn't kill you, made you stronger, and after all that had happened to her in life, she would have to say that that statement is definitely true.

"I think God gives us obstacles like these because it's all a part of life. Life isn't meant to be easy, there are obstacles we have to overcome."

Elsa nodded. "And when we overcome those obstales, we become stronger."

"Exactly. That's one thing this whole journey has taught me. Whatever we encounter, just makes us stronger. Stronger as people, and stronger as sisters," Anna said, taking Elsa's hand within her own.

Elsa looked at Anna, and then back up at the altar. "God must certainly be looking after me if he's sent you to be my sister."

Anna smiled. "I could say the same thing about you, Elsa. I thank God for giving you to me. I feel truly blessed."

Elsa smiled, tears streaming down her face. "As do I."

"We've been through a lot on this journey, Elsa, and it isn't over yet. No matter what, we will find the treasure, and we will overcome any obstacles along the way. We have so far, and we're still here. I don't know if God is looking out for us or not, but regardless, we have each other, and that's what counts."

As the sun slowly started to set, Anna and Elsa sat in the cathedral looking up at the altar together. Deep down, they knew there had to be some divine guardian looking out for them. He strengthened them, gave them hope, determination, but most importantly, He gave them each other.

* * *

 **A/N: A deep religious theme to this chapter in addition to being sisterly. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	26. Seeds of Distrust

Chapter 26:

Seeds of Distrust

* * *

The next village that Anna and Elsa came to was probably the largest they'd seen since they started their journey. There were shops up and down the many streets, people crowding alongside them everywhere. It reminded them of home actually. The sisters purchased supplies in preparation for their travels. Elsa thought that they should stay night at an inn in town, and then continue to look for Hans the next day. Without a horse however, the sisters knew that it would take them much longer.

"Do you think there's somebody here that would sell us one?" Anna asked. The two had checked into their room at one of the inns. Elsa was busy reading King Nicholas' journal hoping she could learn something she hadn't seen before the first time she read it.

"There might be. I'll go check in town," Elsa said, putting down the journal.

"I'll come with you," Anna said, joining her sister.

Anna and Elsa stepped outside into the sunlight, and into the crowd of people walking up and down the streets. Maybe if they asked around they might find someone who had a horse to sell. One thing was for sure, they needed one if they were going to catch up with Hans and the Duke and get the amulet back. As the traveled through the marketplace, Anna noticed someone who caught her eye. Someone she hadn't expected to see so soon. It was Hans! There he was in the middle of the marketplace walking with half of the amulet in his hands. From the looks of it, there weren't any of the Duke's men around him. Hell, he didn't even his gun on him! They could take him easily, and steal back the amulet.

"Elsa, look who it is!" Anna said, pointing into the crowd.  
Elsa's eyes widened in shock. "Hans! What's he doing here?"

"Who cares? He has half of the amulet on him. He's literally fondling it with his hands. Let's take him now," Anna said, darting off through the crowd and towards Hans. "No, Anna! That's a smart idea!" Elsa called out. But Anna was already halfway through the crowd. She kept close behind Hans, while at the same time keeping a distance so he couldn't see her easily in the crowd. The man walked down an alleyway, and stepped into one of the buildings. Anna entered the building, and followed him down one of the many hallways. She saw him put the amulet into his back pocket. Perfect. Now all she had to do is sneak up behind him, pick his pocket, and the amulet was theirs! As Hans rounded a corner, Anna did the same. However, unbeknownst to Anna, Hans was well-aware that she was following him. As soon as Anna turned around the corner, Hans sucker punched her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground. Before Anna could regain her senses, Hans grabbed her by the shoulders, and pulled her up to him.

"Just couldn't leave it alone, could you?" he sneered.

Hans picked up Anna, and threw her out one of the glass windows. Anna hit the cobblestone pavement face first. She slowly stood up, wiping her face from where she was just punched. With her other hand, she held the amulet that she snatched off Hans during the struggle.

"Not a complete loss," Anna smiled.

Suddenly, six of the Duke's men approached her. They surrounded her on all sides; there was nowhere for her to run. All around her, a crowd of people had gathered to watch what was going on, expecting to see a fight between Anna and the men.

All of the men were unarmed. Anna could easily take them out with her pistol, but that would only cause more trouble. Plus, the police would surely come in that case. Not to mention she would scare the townspeople to death.

"Hey, boys," she said. "Lovely weather," she said. "Listen, I'd love to stick around and chat, but I got to go find my sister."

One of the men blocked her off, giving her a punch to the face.

"Ok. I think I've had enough punches for one day," Anna said. Before the man could throw another punch, his arm froze solid, along with the rest of his body.

"What the hell?" he cried.

There behind him stood Elsa with her hands held out in front her. The other men charged at Elsa, only to meet the same exact fate as their comrade: frozen solid to the pavement.

"Come on, Anna, let's go!" Elsa cried.

The two sisters ran as fast as they could back to the inn. Fortunately, it was on the other side of town, so it put them at a good distance between Hans and the Duke. When they got back to their room, Elsa chastised Anna for her actions.

"Do you not learn from your mistakes?" she cried.

"This is the fifth time you've acted without thinking, and nearly gotten killed in the process. My God, Anna, you're so reckless!"

Anna ignored Elsa by simply holding up half of the amulet. "Looks like my recklessness accomplished something."

Elsa was shocked. "You actually got the amulet?"

"Yep. Not sure it was worth getting sucker punched by Hans, but it did give the chance I needed to grab it out of his pocket."

"Well, be that as it may, you still shouldn't have done it. If I hadn't shown up, who knows what could have happened? A lot has happened to us on this journey, Anna, how many close call have we had?"

"Far too many," Anna remarked.

"Exactly, which is why it's important to think before we act. One wrong move could be fatal. Nonetheless, I'm glad you got the amulet back. Now we've got an advantage on Hans."

"We sure do. Now let's just get to the Tower of London before they do."

"Yeah, we'll that's still another week or two away," Elsa said, pulling out the map from the pocket of her dress. But with a horse at least we'll be able to get there faster.

"True. I'm going to go feed our horse out in the stable," Anna said.

"Ok. Be back soon. I want to go over to our traveling plans with you," Elsa said, examining the map.

Anna went out into the stables to check on their horse. She fed him some carrots, and gently patted him on the head. "There's a good boy," she said. "It's going to be a busy next few weeks, but we'll get through it together."

Unknowingly to Anna, a figure crept up behind her, and shot a dart into her neck.

"Ow! What was that?" Anna said, grabbing her neck. She found the dart, and pulled it out. She felt dizzy, her head spinning like a top. Out of the shadows, she saw the figure who had shot her. It was Hans! Without thinking twice, Anna pulled out her pistol and pointed it at him!

"Put the gun down Anna," he calmly, ordered.

Anna's hands shook, but she gently lowered the gun, putting it back into her holster.

"Now give me the amulet," he said.

Anna reached into her pocket, and snakingly handed Hans the amulet.

"Thank you. One more thing though," Hans said. He crept up close to Anna, and whispered in her ear. "Don't trust, Elsa," he said.

The prince of the Southern Isles disappeared from the stables, leaving Anna in a confused, drugged state.

Suddenly, Anna heard a voice from behind her.

"Anna, what's taking you so long? I thought you were just going to feed the horse," Elsa said.

Anna's eyes widened in fear upon seeing her. She remembered Hans' order. "Don't trust, Elsa."

"Anna, what's the matter? You looked scared to death. Is something wrong?"

"Get away from me!" Anna hissed.

* * *

 **A/N: Cliffhanger! What will the drug make Anna do to Elsa? Next chapter coming soon.**


	27. Sister vs Sister

Chapter 27:

Sister vs. Sister

* * *

Anna looked at Elsa like she was a hungry animal ready to eat her up. Elsa slowly walked closer to Anna, placing her hands on her sister's shoulders.

"Anna, what's wrong?"

"Get away from me!" Anna cried, pulling Elsa's hands off her.

"Anna, you're scaring me," Elsa said, truly frightened.

"Don't hurt me," Anna gasped. Before Elsa knew it, Anna took off running out of the barn, and into the streets.

"Anna!" Elsa called, but before leaving the barn, she noticed something on the floor.

She bent over to pick it up, and held it close to her face. It looked like a dart of some kind. What would a dart be doing in the stables of an inn? Elsa had heard about darts being used to drug animals before when they were at risk of harming a human being. They were also used on humans sometimes too as tranquilizers. Maybe the inn keeper had to put down one of the horses before?

Whatever it was, now was not the time to dwell on it. Elsa ran after Anna, calling her name up and down the street. She had to find her fast, something was clearly wrong with her.

As Elsa turned down an alleyway, she again called her sister's name. When she was sure that Anna wasn't there, she proceeded to the next part of town. Over by the fountain, saw what looked like a women's shoe. She picked it up, and examined it. It was definitely Anna's. She had come this way.

Before she could continue her search, a loud shot rang out above her head, rattling her eardrums.

"What was that?" she cried.

Turning around she saw Anna fearfully holding the gun towards her. The princess aimed again, and fired another shot. Quickly, Elsa conjured up a shield of ice, deflecting the bullet.

"Anna, are you crazy?" Elsa cried. Not willing to take another chance, Elsa fired a blast of ice from her hand, knocking the gun out of Anna's hand. When it hit the ground, Elsa froze it in a sheet of ice to prevent Anna from retrieving it.

With her sister disarmed, Elsa ran towards her, grabbing her by the arms.

"Anna, Anna, calm down, it's just me," Elsa coaxed.

"Get off me!" Anna cried, elbowing Elsa in the gut. The force caused Elsa to reel back in pain. Anna then threw a punch towards Elsa, hitting her in the head.

Elsa shook her head, ignoring the pain. She thought back to the dart she found. Someone must have drugged Anna. It was the only explanation to why she was acting this way. Elsa knew that she had to find a way to break Anna out of whatever trance she was in. She had to do it without hurting her too.

"Anna, it's me, Elsa," Elsa reasoned.

This only seemed to make Anna angrier as the princess threw several more punches towards Elsa. Elsa was able to dodge each blow, still refusing to hit her little sister.

"Anna, this isn't you, please listen to me. I'm not going to hurt you," Elsa tried again.

Anna continued with a series of punches, each one fiercer than the last.

"I won't let you take me," Anna cried.

"Nobody is taking you anywhere, Anna. Just calm down, it's going to be alright."

"No!" Anna screamed.

Anna charged towards Elsa, hitting her with her entire body. The impact brought both sisters to the ground. With Anna now on top of Elsa, she had the upper hand, and began fiercely hitting her sister.

"Anna, Anna, please don't do this. This isn't you! You've been drugged!" Elsa pleaded.

"Anna, please, I would never hurt you, please listen to me! Anna I love you! Please! I love you, Anna!"

Anna began to slow down, taking deep heavy breaths. The fear in her eyes faded, replaced by one of confusion.

"Elsa, what…what's going on?" Anna stammered. She slowly rose to her feet, holding her head in one hand.

"My head is spinning. What happened?" Anna asked.

Elsa took a deep breath herself, and let it out slowly. "You were drugged," she said, pulling the dart from her pocket.

Anna looked at the drug, and remembered exactly what happened. She remembered being hit with dart in the stables, and seeing Hans emerge from the shadows.

"Hans! He did it!" Anna cried. "In the stables, right before you showed up. He shot me with this."

Elsa turned the drug over in her hands, trying to find any kinds of clue that could tell her what kind of drug it was.

"Maybe it's some kind of fear inducing drug," she suggested. "Did Hans say anything to you after he shot you with the dart?"

"I…I can't remember," Anna sighed. "I'm so sorry, Elsa. I had no idea what I was doing."

"It's fine. I'm just glad that you're alright. If Hans and the Duke are here, then we can't stay in this village. Let's go back to the inn, get our things, and move out. The farther we get from them the better."

"Ok," Anna said. "Where's my pistol?"

Elsa pointed in the direction where she froze Anna's pistol. She unthawed the ice, and handed it to her. "Hopefully it still works," she said.

"Yeah. Lord knows I'll need it."

"Come on, the sooner we get out of here, the better," Elsa said.

Anna put her hand in her pocket, and realized that something was missing. "Oh, no!"

"What is it?"

"The amulet is gone!" Anna cried. "Hans must have taken it."

Before Elsa could speak, Anna took off down the street.

"Anna, where are you going now?" she said.

Anna stopped, and turned to face her sister. "They've got to be camped out nearby. We find their camp, sneak in, steal back the amulet, and we're on our way."

"Absolutely not, that's too risky!" Elsa ordered.

"Do you have a better idea?" Anna asked.

Elsa didn't have a better idea. Hans and the Duke, and his men would most likely be asleep by now. They might not get another chance to retrieve the amulet. It was a crazy plan, but there was no other option.

"Alright. But you do exactly what I say, exactly when I say it, got it?" Elsa ordered.

Anna smiled. "You bet, sis."

"Now come on. They're probably camped on the outskirts of town," Elsa said. "It'll be dawn in a few hours so we better hurry."

"Ok."

As they walked out of town, Elsa looked at Anna, remembering how scared she was of her. Fear. That was something Elsa knew all too well. Thirteen years of her life she lived in fear. It wasn't a pleasant thing; it was like a lonely, dark prison. But they couldn't be afraid. They needed their courage now more than ever. They were facing a villain; a villain who was willing to do anything to get rid of them, and get his hands on the treasure. He had found a drug that could induce fear into someone, and that alone almost caused severe damage. With something like that in his possession, who knows what else Hans had in store for them?

* * *

 **A/N: Really suspenseful, huh? And it's only going to get more suspenseful. As I said, this adventure will test Anna and Elsa's limits to the fullest.**


	28. Stowaways

Chapter 28:

Stowaways

* * *

Hans, the Duke, and his men had set up camp just outside the village. When Anna and Elsa arrived, they were all asleep in their tents. The sisters crouched down behind some bushes, analyzing the scene, and trying to figure out the best course of action.

"Alright. Let's be smart about this," Elsa whispered. "No need to start a fight. Let's just go in, get the amulet, and go."

"Sounds good to me," Anna agreed. "Which tent do you think is Hans'?"

Elsa examined the area, noticing a rather large tent at the end of the clearing. "I'm going to take a wild guess, and say that it's that one."

"What if it's the Duke's?" Anna asked.

"Then we'll keep looking until we find Hans' tent. We know that he's got to have the amulet on him. There's no way he'd trust it with anyone else."

"So what are we waiting for? Let's get it before they wake up!" Anna said.

"Ok. Just be careful, and don't make a sound," Elsa warned.

Anna and Elsa crept quietly through the camp, heading towards what they thought was Hans' tent. When they arrived, Elsa took over.

"Anna, you stand guard. I'm going to go in, and see if the amulet is there."

"Ok. Just hurry," Anna whispered.

Elsa stepped inside the tent, realizing immediately that it was Hans'. The prince of the Southern Isles slept in the corner of the tent with his blankets wrapped tightly around him. In one of his hands, he held a pistol, ready to fire if need be.

On the table next to the cot, Elsa saw the amulet that they had retrieved from the Dover Mansion. Creeping quietly, Elsa slowly picked up the amulet, and held it in her hands.

She looked back over at Hans, seeing that he was still asleep. Not wanting to spend another minute in this place, Elsa crept back outside, and met up with Anna.

"You got it!" Anna cried, unable to hide her excitement.

"Shush!" Elsa hissed.

"Sorry. Yay, you got it!" she said, quieter.

"Yes. Now let's get out of here now."

The sisters left the campsite, heading out of the village, and riding to the next one. By the time they arrived, it was morning.

"Well, we got the amulet back, but how are we going to get to England?" Anna asked. "Hans and the Duke have probably already figured out that the amulet is gone by now, and they're probably right behind us. We need a faster way to get there."

"I agree, but it's not like there's a ship going to England around here," Elsa said.

There were several ships at the docks in the village. Anna and Elsa saw men loading cargo onto the ships, one by one.

Out of curiosity, Elsa stopped one of the men to ask a question. He was carrying a barrel aboard the ship. "Excuse me, sir, but where is this ship heading?"

"All the way to London, England, miss. We got a shipment of ale we're delivering."

Anna's eyes lit up. She looked at Elsa, hoping that she had the same idea.

"Do you think that my sister, and I could join you? We are on our way to London as well, but it would be much easier if we could travel there by boat instead of horseback."

The man shook his head. "I'm sorry, ladies, but we can't afford to take any more passengers aboard. This is a merchant ship, used for trading only."

"Please, sir, we won't take up much space," Anna interjected.

"Sorry ladies, but I have to follow orders. I hope you understand."

Anna opened her mouth to speak, but one look at Elsa told her that it was pointless.

"Yes, sir. We're sorry we bothered you," Elsa said.

"That's alright, miss. Well, back to work. We still have a lot of barrels to bring aboard."

The man picked up the barrel he was carrying earlier, and brought it onto the ship.

Further down the street, they could see more barrels waiting to be brought aboard. They now knew that the barrels were filled with ale, something that could be easily be poured out. Suddenly, Anna got an idea.

"Well, so much for that," Elsa said. "I guess we're traveling to England on horseback."

"Maybe not, Elsa," Anna spoke up.

"What do you mean? The man just said that they weren't going to let us on board."

"What if they didn't know we were on board?" Anna asked.

"You mean…we sneak on? That's wrong, Anna. We'd be stowaways then."

"I know, but it's only for a little while. Besides, I doubt we're going to find another ship that's going to England."

"True, but how are we supposed to get aboard without one of the crewmembers seeing us?" Elsa asked.

Anna pointed to the barrels at the end of the street. "We empty out two of the barrels, then climb in, and the crew will bring us onboard."

Elsa looked at Anna in surprise. "Anna, that will never work. They'll realize that the barrels aren't heavy enough to contain ale."

Anna smiled. "Elsa, they're not going to pay attention to that. The only thing they're worried about is getting the job done."

"I don't know, it sounds crazy," Elsa commented. "Plus, it'll be all sticky, and we'll be in there until the ship docks. Who knows how long that will be?"

"Look, you wanted a quicker way to England, this is as good as it gets," Anna exclaimed. "Are you in or out?"

Elsa looked at the barrels. It was a crazy plan, not to mention extremely risky, but they didn't have many options. They needed to get to the Tower of London, and get the second half of the amulet before Hans and the Duke.

"Fine, but you follow my lead," Elsa ordered.

Once the way was clear, Anna and Elsa ran over to the barrels. Just as expected, they were heavy. They rolled two of them to a store around the corner, and emptied them into the harbor. Once they were empty, they carried the barrels back to where they originally were. Both sisters knew that they would have to abandon most of their gear, including the horses, but it was worth it if they were traveling to England on the ship.

Anna was the first to climb inside. It was a tight fit, but she managed. Elsa followed suit in her own barrel, scrunching her nose together in disgust. The scent of ale was so strong.

"How are we going to breathe in these?" she asked.

"You're right. Hold on, I got an idea.

Anna took out her knife from the pocket of her dress, and carved a small hole into both her and Elsa's barrel.

"It's not much, but once we're on the ship, we can crawl out, and get fresh air," Anna explained.

"Anna, I'm not sure about this," Elsa said, beginning to have second thoughts.

"Can't back out now, Elsa. We're already in!"

"I don't know," Elsa said. "This is pretty tight."

"It won't be forever, trust me," Anna assured.

A few minutes later, Elsa felt herself being picked up, and carried away. The man who was holding her was bringing her aboard the ship. Another man followed behind him, carrying Anna.

"These two barrels aren't as heavy as the rest," one of the men noticed.

"Ah, you're just imagining things," the other man said. The two men brought the barrels below deck. Once they were gone, Anna and Elsa emerged from the barrels, eager to get a breath of fresh air.

"Whew! I thought I was going to pass out in there," Anna said, taking a deep breath of air.

"Same here," Elsa said, panting heavily. "I think I'm drunk off of the fumes in here."

"Well, we're here!" Anna said, happily. "London, England, here we come!"

"Let's just remember to get back in the barrels as soon as we reach England," Elsa reminded her.

"Of course, but for now, let's just lay back, and enjoy the ride!"

* * *

 **A/N: My apologies for the late update. Rest assure that I will get back to updating at a regular pace now. This chapter is also the last Anna and Elsa will see of Hans and the Duke for a while. Also, the story is coming to an end pretty soon. Only five more chapters to go after this. I'm sorry if the story has been dragging for a while with frequent encounters with Hans and the Duke. I wanted to show the fierce competition between the two parties in getting to the treasure first. I hope you're still enjoying it nonetheless.**


	29. Vargas

Chapter 29:

Vargas

* * *

After what seemed like an hour of being cramped inside a barrel, Anna and Elsa slowly emerged from their secret hiding places, and stepped onto the ship. From the looks of it, they appeared to be somewhere below deck. It was mostly dark; the only light they had was the light coming from the stairs to the far right. The sisters could hear faint sounds of voices above deck, although they couldn't make out exactly what they were saying. Elsa held a hand out in front of her, feeling the barrels that surrounded them.

"Alright, let's stay below deck until the ship docks," she said to Anna. "Hopefully the sailors will carry the barrels off, and then we can slip out undetected."

"That sounds like a good plan, but who knows how long that will be. It could take us several days to get to London. In the meantime, what are we going to do about food?"

Elsa hadn't thought of that. Truth be told, she was hungry, and could go for anything right about now. But going up on deck was just too risky. If they sailors caught them, who knows what might happen?

"I know that eating is a necessity, but it's just too risky to go up on deck, Anna," Elsa explained. "I don't know how many men are on board, and all it would take is getting seen by one of them to get us in trouble."

"I understand, Elsa, but what if we wait until night when most of the crew are asleep. There will probably only be a few people still up. We can sneak upstairs, find the galley, take some food, and head back below deck."

Elsa thought about it for a minute. It did seem like a good plan, but there was still a great amount of risk involved. She just couldn't do it.

"I'm sorry, Anna, but I'm not taking any chances," Elsa said. "Please, I'm only doing this for our safety. Once we're in London, you can have all the food you want."

Anna knew that it was pointless to argue with her sister. She simply nodded, and sat down. For the rest of the day, the two kept quiet, not wanting to draw the attention of any of the crewmembers. When the sun went down, Anna and Elsa could hear the crew making their final rounds, and heading off to bed. Elsa suggested that they do the same, and crawled back into her barrel. It was best to remain hidden while asleep in case someone came down, and saw them. Anna, however, wasn't going to sleep just yet. When she was sure that Elsa was asleep, she crept upstairs onto the main deck. Just as she expected, there weren't too many crewmembers still up. At the most she counted five people. Anna snuck alongside of the ship, using the crates on board as cover. She didn't know precisely where the galley was, so she would just have to wing it. When she saw a staircase leading downward, Anna quickly, and quietly snuck down it, praying that she wouldn't run into anyone along the way. The root to the ship's galley was down a long, narrow hallway. As Anna got closer, she could smell what appeared to be traces of the meal the crew had earlier that evening.

Anna opened a large metal door at the far end of the hallway, which led into the galley. Inside, she could smell what remained of the meal from earlier. In the back, were crates filled with fruit, and vegetables. It wasn't anything fancy, but at this point, Anna didn't care. She stuffed both pockets of her dress with enough fruit, and vegetables as she could, and made her way back to Elsa. When she arrived below deck, Anna quietly knocked on Elsa's barrel. It was their signal for each other to come out.

The top of the barrel came off, and Elsa emerged, rubbing her eyes.

"What is it?" she whispered.

Anna emptied her pockets full of fruit and vegetables, showing them to Elsa. "Dinner is served!" she said proudly.

"Anna! What in God's name were you thinking?" Elsa hissed. "You could have been seen!"

"Relax! Nobody saw a thing!" Anna reassured her.

"What do you think is going to happen when the cook notices that some of his fruits and vegetables are missing?" Elsa asked, frantically.

"I doubt he'll notice anything," Anna answered. "He had crates full of them. Come on, let's just eat. You said yourself that you're hungry."

Elsa looked at the apples, oranges, and plums that Anna had brought her, and she couldn't deny the fact that she was hungry. She sat down, and took a bite out of one of the apples. It had been hours since her last meal.

"You see, I told you this was a good idea. At least now we have something to hold us over till we reach London."

"That is if you make it there," said a voice from behind them.

Anna spun around, reaching for her pistol at the same time, only to be met with a man pointing his rifle at her and Elsa.

"Don't even think about it, ladies," he said.

Anna took her hand off her pistol, realizing that that it was no point in trying to fight.

The man chuckled. "I thought I heard someone talking down here, and what do you know, there are two stowaways aboard the ship. Wait until the captain hears about this."

"Please sir, you don't have to tell him," Elsa said. "My sister and I desperately needed a ride to London, and this was the only ship we could find that was going there."

"I don't care. A stowaway is a stowaway, and we have ways of dealing with stowaways. Come with me, we're going to the captain's quarters."

"Wait! You can't tell the captain about us!" Anna cried.

"Why not?" the man asked.

"Because if you do, then we'll never find where the treasure of King Nicholas is buried."

Elsa's eyes lit up in fear. What in the world was Anna thinking telling this man about the treasure. They already had Hans and the Duke hot on their trail, the last thing they needed was someone else knowing about it.

"What the hell are you talking about?" the man asked.

Anna spent the next few minutes explaining to the man about King Nicholas' treasure, showing him the map, the journal, and half of the amulet as proof. The man looked over each of the items carefully, trying to authenticate every one of them. When he was done examining them, he handed them back to Anna.

"So this treasure of yours…it's somewhere in London?"

"Well, we don't know where it is exactly, but once we have the other half of the amulet, we'll be able to figure out where it is," Anna said. "If you don't tell the captain about us, we'll let you have a share of the treasure."

"Anna!" Elsa hissed. "No!"

"Elsa, just bear with me. What do you say?" she asked the man.

The man lowered his rifle, and considered the matter. He then looked at Anna and Elsa one more time, before answering.

"Fine, but I want half," he said.

Before Anna could agree, Elsa stepped in.

"Anna, we worked hard to find this treasure. It's rightfully ours! We're not giving it to some stranger who is holding us at gunpoint."

"If that's the case, then will you ladies kindly follow me upstairs," the man said, aiming his rifle back at them.

"Elsa, please, we don't have any other options here," Anna said.

Elsa looked at her sister, then back at the man. She didn't like it one bit. The treasure was rightfully theirs, and theirs alone. After all the hell they had gone through to get this far with Hans and the Duke, and now this bastard wanted in on the deal. Why did Anna have to tell him about the treasure? She could easily dealt with the man with her powers. Once again, her sister acted without thinking. As much as she hated it, she knew that she had to go along with it.

"Alright, we'll give you a fair cut of the treasure," Elsa acquiesced.

"Half," the man stated firmly.

"We're doing most of the work, we'll give you 20%, and that's all!" Elsa retorted.

"25% or no deal," the man said.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Fine. We'll give you 25%, but nothing more."

The man smiled. "Well, I look forward to getting to know you ladies better. In the meantime, why don't we introduce ourselves? My name is Vargas."

"I'm Anna," Anna said, not bothering to use her title of "princess" in introducing herself. This guy was already getting more than enough as it is. The last thing they needed was for him to find out their royalty status, and then demand more money.

"I'm Elsa," Elsa stated simply.

"Very good. We'll enjoy your meal ladies. We should be in London in a few days. In the evening, I'll come visit you two, and you can tell me more about this King Nicholas fellow."

When Vargas left, Anna looked at Elsa, noticing the concerned look on her face. The Snow Queen didn't like this one bit.

"Look I'm sorry, I was just trying to save our skins," Anna explained.

Elsa sighed. "I know, but the first chance we get to lose this guy, we're taking it," she said.

Anna smiled. "Deal."

* * *

 **A/N: I apologize for the late update. Certain events have prevented me from taking the time to it down, and write a full length chapter to this story. Only four more chapters to go after this!**


	30. The Tower of London

Chapter 30

The Tower of London

* * *

When the ship docked in London, Vargas met up with Anna and Elsa, reaffirming his role in finding the other half of the amulet in exchange for the treasure. Elsa was still mad at Anna for telling a total stranger about the treasure, but Vargas knew, and that was that. The sisters followed Vargas off of the ship, ignoring the stares of the other sailors as they walked. The city of London was big, but it wasn't very hard to see the Tower from a mile away. The trio headed in the direction of the tower, all the while thinking about how to lose Vargas.

"As I said before, ladies, this better not be a trick," Vargas warned.

"It's not. We have the other half of the amulet, see?" Anna said, pulling out the amulet and showing it to Vargas.

"So how will this thing tell us where the treasure is?" he asked, skeptically.

"We don't know exactly. Once the two pieces are combined, then we'll know the answer," Elsa replied.

Vargas snorted. "Of course. It's always that easy, isn't it?"

"Look, we don't know all the answers, so just go along with it, OK?" Anna snapped.

"Whatever you say, ladies," Vargas said.

Elsa saw an alleyway to the right of them. "Let's go down here. It'll be a shortcut to the tower," she said.

They walked down the alleyway, discovering that it was dark, and isolated from the rest of the city. That was just what Elsa wanted. When they were in a dark enough spot, Elsa waved her hand, causing a sheet of ice to wrap around Vargas. The sailor tried to scream, but Elsa was quick to seal his mouth with a block of ice.

"Well, that should take care of that," she said, proudly. "And he's in the shade too, so it'll take a little longer for the ice to melt.

Vargas tried frantically to move his head, the only part of his body that he had any control over, but it was no use. He couldn't break free of Elsa's icy grip.

"Haha! Way to go, Elsa! I should have known that you'd have a plan!" Anna cheered.

"Yes, but let's not forget that this wouldn't have happened, had you kept your mouth shut about the treasure," Elsa reminded her.

"I'm sorry, I panicked. He was going to expose us, so I did what I could to prevent that," Anna explained.

Elsa smiled. "That's OK, Anna. Just remember to always think before you act. It can make a big difference in the long run."

"Agreed. Now let's go to the tower."

* * *

When the sisters arrived at the tower, they saw that the gates were open to the guests. The monarchy still used the tower, so it wasn't surprising to see guards everywhere. Despite finally reaching their destination, Anna and Elsa had no idea where the amulet was hidden. There were so many buildings, it could be in any of them!"

"Ok. We'll go a lot faster if we split up. You take the innermost ward, and I'll check out the White Tower. Let's meet back here in about an hour," Elsa instructed.

"Ok, but what are we looking for exactly? I doubt the amulet is going to be in plain sight," Anna said.

"I do too, but we might be wrong. This place is known for its collection of jewels, and the amulet might be among them. I'll see you back here in the courtyard in an hour," Elsa said.

The two sisters split up, both looking high and low in their designated locations for any sign of the amulet. The castle was huge, it really could be anywhere. After Anna explored the bloody tower, she searched Tower Hill, the spot that was the site of many executions over the years. The Crown jewel collection also proved unsuccessful, with a majority of the jewels locked away somewhere in the castle. Elsa's efforts in the White Tower were no better. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary in this place, quite an odd place to hide an amulet. This was going to be harder than she thought. King Nicholas' journal didn't say exactly where the amulet was located, only that it was in the Tower of London somewhere. It could be days before they found it, and that was just too much. By now, Hans and the Duke were probably on their way to London in search of the amulet themselves. If they didn't get it soon, they would run into them again, and Elsa was sick of having to fight those two.

Anna and Elsa met up in the courtyard an hour later. They explained their unsuccessful efforts to find the other half of the amulet.

"I searched that place up and down. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary or anything that the amulet might be hidden under," Anna said.

"Yes, I didn't find anything either," Elsa said, dejectedly.

"Where could it be?" Anna cried in frustration. "Why didn't Nicholas just say where exactly the amulet was located? That would make this so much easier."

Elsa took out the journal of King Nicholas. She flipped to an entry that talked about his stay at the Tower of London. In the entry, he talked extensively about the Church of St Peter ad Vincula, the parish church at the Tower of London. King Nicholas was a very religious man, so it made sense that he would talk about his time spent there. The journal entry ended with a detailed description of the alter in the church, something Nicholas called one of the most beautiful creations on Earth, a true jewel."

A true jewel!

"Anna, I think I know where the amulet is!"

"Where?" Anna cried, excitedly.

"Come on, follow me."

The sisters ran straight for the Church. Since it was Monday, there weren't many people inside, except for a few deacons. Anna and Elsa walked down the aisle, past the rows of pews to the altar. Just as Nicholas described it, the altar was a pretty sight. It was made out of pure marble, chiseled to perfection. It was decorated with images of Jesus, and other people from the bible. On the top of the altar, there was a large cross that sat in the middle. Elsa examined the crucifix closely, getting a suspicious feeling about it.

"So why do you think the amulet is here?" Anna asked.

"Because Nicholas seemed awfully fond of this place. He talks a lot about it in his journal. Elsa carefully picked up the crucifix, looking it over. On the bottom she noticed that that the bottom was lose, and that it was actually hollow.

"Hold the journal for a second," Elsa said to Anna.

Elsa felt bad about doing this, but it was for a good cause. She raised the crucifix high in the air, and threw it on the ground. It broke into many pieces, which scattered all over the floor.

"What are you doing?" Anna asked.

Elsa picked up the bottom part of the crucifix, only to find that it had opened up, revealing that it contained something.

Elsa poured the contents onto the floor, nearly cheering when she saw the bright red half of the amulet.

"Yes!" she cried.

"You found it!" Anna said in disbelief.

"You sound surprised."

"Yeah, I am. That was quite a hunch you had there."

"Let me see the other half of the amulet," Elsa said.

Anna gave Elsa the other half of the amulet, allowing Elsa to combine the two pieces.

For a few minutes, the sisters analyzed it closely, looking for answers.

"It doesn't say anything," Anna said. "The letter said that the location of the treasure would be revealed once we combined the two pieces. This doesn't make any sense!"

"I know, I know," Elsa said placing the amulet on the altar. "I don't get it either."

The sunlight poured in through the stained glass windows onto the amulet. When the sunlight hit it, Elsa saw words begin to form in the center.

"Anna, look at this," Elsa said.

The words were small, but just legibly enough to be read.

" _In the White Scar Caves of England, and with the blood of Arendelle Royalty, you shall find your fortune."_

"The White Scar Caves?" Anna asked.

"Yes. They're a series of caves in North Yorkshire. That's where the treasure is hidden."

"But what does "with the blood of Arendelle royalty mean?" Anna asked.

"I don't know, but we know where to go next. Let's get out of here, see if we can find any horses for sale, and make our way to North Yorkshire," Elsa said.

"Sounds like a plan," Anna said.

Before they left, Elsa placed the amulet on the ground by her feet, and held out one of her hands towards it. In an instant, the amulet was frozen solid in a block of ice. She then caused the ice to burst into pieces, including the amulet.

"What are you doing?" Anna cried. "We spent weeks looking for that!"

"We know where to go, Anna. We can't risk any chances of Hans finding out. If he finds us, and gets a hold of the amulet, he'll know exactly where to go. We can't let that happen."

Anna understood. The last thing both of them wanted was for Hans to know where the treasure was located. They left the church, heading for the town square where they purchased two horses with the last of their money. They then set out for North Yorkshire, the final destination on their journey, and the location of the treasure.

* * *

 **A/N: Here's a nice long chapter for you! Only two more chapters to go! I thought the idea of only seeing the inscription on the amulet in the sunlight was an interesting touch. Till next time!**


	31. Fortune Found: Part 1

Chapter 31:

Fortune Found

Part 1

 **A/N: I decided to split the finale into two parts, so there will be another part to it as well as one final chapter afterwards. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

It was only a day's ride to the White Scar Caves, but Anna and Elsa decided to camp the evening, believing that they needed all the strength they could get. The two sisters sat around the campfire, eating berries from a nearby bush. As they stared into the crackling flames, both thought about how far they had come. It had been several months since they started out on this journey, and it wasn't an easy one to say the least. They had endured many hardships, many of which they believed were unnecessary, but they overcame them. By this time tomorrow, they would uncover a treasure believed to have been lost to time. The excitement was so strong, Anna couldn't help express her joy.

"I can't believe we're only a few steps away from the treasure," she said. "I can already picture all the gold, and jewels."

Elsa nodded. "Yes, it's sure to be an impressive sight. After all that we've been through to get here, it'll feel like a true accomplishment once we bring it back home to Arendelle."

"Speaking of which, how are we going to get it back to Arendelle? There's no way we can carry it all on horseback," Anna pointed out.

"Don't worry, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, let's just focus on getting to the treasure first," Elsa answered.

"You're right. I wonder what that inscription on the amulet meant."

"It's pretty cryptic, but I think maybe there will be a clue there that will help us figure it out," Elsa guessed.

I hope so. I have no ideas what it could mean. Well, I think we should head to be bed. Tomorrow is going to be a big day."

"Yep. Goodnight, Anna," Elsa said, putting out the fire.

"Goodnight, Elsa."

As the two sisters quickly drifted off to sleep, they were unawhere of the danger lurking nearby. In the bushes, Hans and the Duke had been watching. They were now down to only two men, the rest having been killed or left. They were currently on their way to London, when they stumbled upon the sisters. Since Anna and Elsa seemed to be coming from the opposite direction, they must have found the amulet already. All they needed to do was steal it from them. One of the last of the Duke's men crept up to their campsite, slowly going through their rucksack. The amulet had to be here somewhere. After several minutes of searching, the solider determined that they amulet was not here. He reported his findings back to Hans and the Duke.

"What do you mean the amulet isn't there? It has to be!" Hans hissed.

"Sir, I've checked the entire campsite, and I don't see it," the solider explained. "Maybe they didn't find it."

"Fool! Of course they found it. Why else would they be headed this way," the Duke snarled.

"Alright, time to go with another plan," Hans whispered to the last of the Duke's men.

As Anna slept on the ground, she didn't see a man hovering above her. In an instant, the man covered her mouth, and pulled her to her feet. Anna tried to reach for her gun, but the man grabbed it from her holster, and threw it into the woods. Anna struggled with all her might to break free of the man's tight grasp, but she just wasn't strong enough. Fortunately, the shuffling was enough noise to wake Elsa, who immediately came to Anna's aid

"Anna!" She cried.

Before Elsa could do anything, the man held his own pistol to her head. "Don't move, witch!" he hissed.

Elsa stopped dead in her tracks. Even with her powers, she couldn't risk attacking now, not with Anna being held hostage like that.

Out of the shadows, Hans, the Duke, and his other man stepped out, smiling in delight.

"That's right, Elsa, stand down. If you so much as create a single snowflake, I'll blow your sister's head off."

The solider holding Anna, pressed his gun close to her head, smiling with sadistic glee.

"We don't have what you want," Elsa said. "We destroyed the amulet."

"What?" Hans cried. "Well, this is rather unfortunate for you, Queen Elsa, and even more so for Anna. Kill her now," Hans ordered.

"Wait!" Elsa intervened. "The amulet may be gone, but I know where the treasure is. If you let her go, I'll lead you straight to it, but if you hurt her, you'll get nothing from me."

"Hmm. It appears we have a stalemate. Alright, Elsa. You lead me and the old man to the treasure, and I'll let Anna live. If you try anything, the last thing you will see is her blood spraying across your face. For the time being, I think I will continue to use her as incentive to cooperate. Now move!

Hans, and the other man pointed their guns at Elsa, forcing her to lead the way. Inside, Elsa was boiling with rage. There was no end to this madman's antics. Come hell or high water, he was determined to get his hands on the treasure. She hated to do it, but she had to lead Hans and the Duke to the White Scar Caves, for Anna's sake. Elsa looked back, and saw the solider pressing the gun to her head. Anna breathed heavily, terrified of what was going to happen next.

* * *

They marched on through the night, straight into morning. Elsa was allowed to use her map as a guide, but nothing else. When they came over the hillside, they saw the White Scar Caves not far from where they stood.

The entrance to the caves was easy, but navigating through it would be more challenging. Moreover, with Anna's life on the line, every second counted. Hans was very impatient, and that made him even more dangerous. If she took too long finding the treasure, he could kill Anna out of frustration. At one point, Elsa thought of freezing all four men in their tracks, freeing Anna, and then escaping. No. Even with her powers it was just too risky. If Hans, the Duke or his two remaining men saw a single sliver of ice, Anna would be killed. They entered the caves, lighting torches to help them see. Hans stood by Elsa, holding his gun to her with one hand, and the torch in the other. "I hope you know you're way, Elsa. I don't think I need to remind you of what's at stake here."

"Would you shut up? I'm trying to concentrate," Elsa said, looking around the cave.

The catacombs were massive, towering all around the group as they walked through the cave. Truth be told, Elsa had no idea of where to look in the cave. She figured that Nicholas wouldn't have hidden the treasure in plain sight, so it would have to hidden somewhere. And what did that inscription mean? 'In the White Scar Caves of England, and with the blood of Arendelle Royalty, you shall find your fortune.' What did he mean by the blood of Arendelle Royalty?

The group came upon a small crevice, which looked large enough for them to fit through. Elsa crouched down with Hans keeping his gun on her the whole time. "You better not be leading us into a dead end," he warned.

On the other side, there was a small body of water. It was shallow enough to walk through. Elsa led the group through the water to the other side, where they came across an emblem carved into the wall. Elsa instantly regonied the symbol. It was the crest of Arendelle! It had been carved into the wall. This had to mean something, but what?"

"Ok, Elsa, what do we do now?" Hans asked. "We've been wandering this cave for over thirty minutes, and I still haven't seen one gold coin."

"I'm doing my best, Hans," Elsa sighed irritably.

"Well, hurry up. My patience is thin."

Elsa analyzed the crest on the wall. There was no denying that it was the crest of Arendelle, but why would Nicholas randomly carve it in the wall of the cave? It had to mean something, but she couldn't figure out what. She thought about the inscription on the amulet again. 'The blood of Arendelle Royalty' what on Earth could that possibly mean? Was it referring to the bloodline of Arendelle Royalty? Elsa ran her fingers over the crest, feeling each indention carefully. 'The blood of Arendelle Royalty, the blood of Arendelle Royalty,' she thought to herself.

"Hans, let me borrow your knife!" Elsa asked.

"Haha. Do you really think I would hand you a weapon, so that you can kill me, Elsa? You're dumber than I thought."

"Yeah, Hans. I a person with magical powers require a knife to kill you. Just give it to me," Elsa spat.

Hans begrudgingly handed the knife to Elsa. The Snow Queen took the handle of the knife, and cut into her hand.

"What are you doing, Elsa!" Anna cried.

"Just wait," Elsa reassured her.

Elsa pressed her bloody hand onto the crest, allowing the blood to fill into the cracks. After a minute, she released it, causing a loud rumbling sound to occur.

"What's happening?" the Duke cried. "Is the witch causing the caves to collapse?"

The now blood filled crest pulled apart, along with the entire wall. The group watched in awe as the wall itself parted, revealing a secret passage within. Elsa was the first person to enter the passage, Hans coming in right behind her. They walked for a few feet, until they came upon another system of caves. Once there, they saw a bridge leading over a deep ravine, and across the ravine was mountains upon mountains of treasure. Everywhere they looked, gold, silver, rubies, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires littered the area. There were even swords there as well! It was even more amazing than they thought it would be!

The group crossed the bridge to the other side, getting a closer look at the treasure. Anna was still in awe of the place. The place that there father told them about when they were kids, and sought after for many months was right in front of them. Elsa was in such a state of disbelief, that she didn't notice Hans pistol whipping her in the back of the head, knocking her out.

"Elsa!" Anna cried. She broke free of the soldier's grip, and ran to her sister's side. Elsa was knocked out, but definitely still alive. "Elsa, please wake up!" Anna cried.

"That's not going to do any good," Hans teased. "Get up!" he commanded.

Anna stood up; a look of rage within her eyes. "I appreciate your sister leading us here, Anna, but now I'll take it from here."

The Duke meanwhile had been digging his hands deep within the piles of gold, chuckling to himself the entire time.

"This is magnificent! Simply magnificent! I never dreamed anything like this was possible," he cried.

Unbeknownst to the Duke, Hans walked up behind him, and shot him in the head. The Duke fell into the pile of gold, blood seeping onto the gold coins, and priceless jewels. Hans quickly turned around, and killed the two remaining soldiers.

"I can't believe they actually thought I was going to give them a fair share of the treasure," Hans mused.

Hans turned his attention back to Anna, who was still holding Elsa in her arms. "But before I indulge in all these riches, there is one more chore I need to take care of."

"Hans, you can have the treasure, just let me save my sister," Anna pleaded.

"Haha. After everything that you and her put me through, you think I'm just going to let you walk away? How cute, but no."

"This is treasure is mine, Anna. I earned it." Hans aimed his gun at Anna, and pulled the trigger, only to hear a clicking sound. The pistol was empty.

"Damn! Oh, well, I know where to get another gun," he said, walking towards the bodies of the Duke's last two soldiers.

Knowing that she couldn't waste another second, Anna grabbed one of the swords from the pile of gold, and stabbed Hans in the back with it.

He howled in pain, but wasn't close to being dead. He slowly turned around, and faced Anna. "Fine. If that's the way you want it. It'll actually be more fun to kill you slowly."

Hans grabbed a sword for himself from the pile of gold, holding the blade in front of Anna. "After I'm done with you, I'm going to gut your sister like a pig."

Anna was boiling with anger. She gripped the hilt of the sword tight within her hand. "Go to hell!" she hissed.

"That's the spirit," Hans taunted. "Go down fighting."

* * *

 **A/N: Huge cliffhanger, but don't worry, you won't have to wait long. The next part will be uploaded tomorrow sometime. It'll be an epic one too.**


	32. Fortune Lost

Chapter 32:

Fortune Lost

* * *

Anna stared down her opponent with fierce eyes. In all honesty, this was the last thing she wanted, but there was simply no reasoning with Hans. The two circled each other, daring each other to make the first move.

"Just so you know, I've been fencing since I was ten. There's nothing you can do that won't surprise me," Hans boasted.

"Good to know," Anna said, sarcastically.

Hans dove forward swinging his blade at Anna. The princess countered his move with her own sword, hitting the blade directly with her own.

"Not bad," Hans teased. "But how long can you hold out?"

Hans swung his sword again, this time more fiercely, only to be countered by Anna. Hans was right, he was very proficient in fencing. His attacks almost caused Anna to fall over, an accident that could prove fatal. She took a quick look to her right, checking up on Elsa. Her sister was still out cold, not making any movements. "Come on, Elsa, wake up!" Anna shouted.

"Forget it, Anna. Your sister can't save you now. You're all alone," Hans said.

Anna lifted her sword to block more of Hans' attacks. She twirled the blade in every direction possible, preventing Hans' own sword from reaching her. The process continued for a long time, both blades making contact with each other.

"You're quite the fierce opponent, Anna. I admire your determination," Hans said. "It's a shame that I have to kill you."

Hans charged at Anna, nearly knocking her to the ground when his sword hit her own. Anna gritted her teeth, and swung back at Hans, her own attacks causing him to stumble backwards. "Come on!" Hans yelled.

Anna was running out of stamina with all the effort it took to hold off Hans' attacks. Each swing of his sword was deadlier than the last. Not to mention, the man was very quick. She stepped over a pile of gold, suddenly getting an idea at the same time.

Anna grabbed a handful of gold, and threw it at Hans' face. "Catch!" she cried.

The large amount of gold caused Hans to lose his focus for a second, but it was just enough time for Anna to move in. She charged at him with all her might, pinning him against the wall of the cave.

"We're done here. I'm getting my sister, and we're getting the hell out of here. If you want to live yourself, I suggest you give up now."

Hans was out of breath. He panted heavily, smiling all the while. "Well, done, well done," he commended.

Suddenly, with a burst of energy, Hans pushed Anna to the ground. He then followed the attack with another series of swings. It was difficult defending herself while on the ground, but Anna fought admirably, swinging her sword to deflect each brutal blow. After a few minutes of fighting, Anna swung her sword back towards Hans, only to watch in horror as the blade broke in half on impact.

Anna was left with nothing but a sword hilt. She began to crawl backwards, watching Hans' sword pointing dangerously close to her throat.

"Haha. Well, I guess we know who won this fight," Hans taunted. "For all your determination, Anna, you are nothing. You're just a scared little girl with delusions of grandeur. By the way, you can't fence worth a damn."

Anna crawled faster, going out onto the rickety bridge. What could she do now? All she had was a sword hilt with a small bit of the blade still attached. Hans followed Anna onto the bridge, keeping his sword pointed at her.

"Well, no point in prolonging the inevitable. So long, Anna!"

When the idea hit her, Anna didn't think twice about it. She raised what was left of her sword, and cut both the ropes holding the bridge up with two powerful swings.

Instantly, the bridge collapsed on one side, causing Hans to plummet downward, while Anna jumped back to the closet side.

When she crawled back onto the platform, she watched as Hans fell down into the ravine, hundreds of feet below.

"Those who live by the sword, die by the sword, Hans," Anna said.

Anna ran back to where Elsa was lying, shaking her to wake up.

"Elsa, Elsa, please wake up!"

It took a few seconds, but Elsa slowly came to. "Anna, my head is killing me. What happened?"

"Hans knocked you out when you weren't looking, but I took care of him," Anna explained.

"You mean…you actually…?

"In a manner of speaking," Anna confessed. "He took care of the Duke and his men for me though."

Elsa put a hand to her head, slowly rising to stand.

"Well, I guess you had this one covered," she joked.

"Yeah, but a little ice magic would have been nice too," Anna said. "So what do we do now? We sure have a lot of treasure to get back to Arendelle."

Elsa sighed, looking around the catacombs at the many pieces of gold, and jewels. "This treasure has proven to be more trouble than it's worth. There have been so many people who have died for it. When we first found the map I couldn't wait to see the treasure with my own eyes. After all that's happened, and now that I see it, I don't want anything to do with it."

"What are you saying?" Anna asked in disbelief.

"I'm saying that maybe it's best if this treasure remain hidden forever."

Elsa's words hit Anna like a bolt out of the blue. After all that they've been through to get here, Elsa just wants to give it all up?

"Elsa, this is our heritage! King Nicholas would have wanted us to have this," Anna persuaded.

"Anna, I think the reason King Nicholas made this place so hard to find, was to make sure that things like what we've been through wouldn't happen. Now that I see all this treasure, I honestly don't want it. Every time I look at it, I think of all the people who died just trying to find it. That's not a happy feeling. I think we should prevent anyone else from finding it. I think we should seal it up forever."

"Elsa, is this what you really want?" Anna asked.

Elsa took one last look at the treasure they fought so hard to find. There was no change in opinion. "Yes, Anna. I think this is for the best."

Anna sighed, mulling over the situation. "If you think that this is the best decision, Elsa, then I will go along with it. I trust you."

Elsa gave a small smile, before waving her hand to create an ice bridge across the cavern. When the two were across, Elsa looked up at the top of the cave, sending several powerful ice blasts to the ceiling. The impact of the blasts was enough to cause the ceiling to crumble. The catacombs started to cave in, sending large rocks falling all around them.

"This place is going to collapse any minute. We need to get out of here!" Elsa cried.

The two sisters raced through the cave, all the while avoiding the falling rocks as the caves fell in.

"Hurry, we're almost out!" Elsa said, pointing to the light at the end of the long tunnel.

Behind them, the cave was falling apart, rocks quickly began filling up the space behind them. If they didn't get out soon, they would be crushed to death.

Upon reaching the entrance, Anna and Elsa ran towards the hill that they looked down from only hours earlier, watching as the entrance to the cave was sealed with rubble. The treasure of King Nicholas was now forever lost.

* * *

 **A/N: Boom! Was this what you were expecting? For them to give up the treasure that rightfully belongs to them? Do you agree with Elsa that it's best for the treasure to be hidden forever or do you think they should have taken it? Either way, next chapter is the last, and it will be a touching one. I am also contemplating on writing an epilogue. Let me know if you would like to see one.**


	33. The Price of Love

Chapter 33

The Price of Love

* * *

The journey back home to Arendelle was a long, but quiet one. Anna and Elsa rode back to London on horseback, both grateful that their journey was over. While they were in London, they came upon a ship that was scheduled to sail for the kingdom of Labraza, a kingdom not too far from Arendelle. Elsa managed to convince the captain of the ship if they could get a ride back to their kingdom. Under normal circumstances, the captain said he would refuse to do such a thing, but given that Elsa was the Queen of Arendelle, he was happy to oblige. The journey home took several days, most of which Anna and Elsa spent sleeping. The quest to find the treasure of King Nicholas had been draining on a physical, emotional, and mental level. In all honesty, Elsa didn't think they would ever be the same after this. As they sailed for home, neither of them spoke about their adventure, preferring to remain quiet on the subject. Elsa was even more withdrawn than Anna was about it all. She could tell that Anna was still a little disappointed that they left the treasure behind, even if she agreed that it was the best decision to do so.

The sisters' arrival in Arendelle was met with great excitement. However, upon seeing the two young women with dirty, torn clothes, bruises, and scars, the excitement quickly turned to concern. Kristoff was one of the first people to greet Anna and Elsa as they stepped off the ship. The three ignored the questions of the crowd as they walked back to the palace. When they were inside, Elsa immediately went up to her room, and locked the door, leaving Anna to tell Kristoff all about their adventure. In a long series of hours, Anna confessed every bit of their journey, going into graphic detail. At some points during the story, she started to cry, thinking about all the men killed just for following the orders of Hans, and the Duke. When she finished the tale, Kristoff pulled her close to him in an effort to comfort her.

"Wow. I…had no idea that you two went through so much," he said. "I can't believe you survived all of it."

The tears returned to Anna's eyes. "I can't believe it either. I think if it weren't for Elsa, I probably wouldn't have. We kept each other alive."

"You two have a pretty powerful bond," Kristoff observed.

"Yes. I think that's what got us through all of this. Nonetheless, I still feel somewhat disappointed in the outcome. We worked so hard to find this treasure, and Elsa decides that it's best to keep it hidden forever. I support her decision, but I can't help but wish that we took just a little bit of it. I feel like this whole trip was for nothing."

"Anna, you and Elsa made the right decision. You guys fought for your lives in order to get to this treasure. You had to kill people to stay alive! There's just way too much blood on this treasure to keep it, even if it's your inheritance."

Anna nodded. "You're right, Kristoff. I was foolish for thinking that it was even worth one gold coin. I don't know what's going to happen to Elsa now. She didn't speak to me about any of this on the way back. I guess she's more traumatized than I thought."

"Give her time, Anna. She'll come around," Kristoff reassured.

"Kristoff, I gave Elsa time. I gave her thirteen years of time. I risked my life for her! Isn't that enough?"

Kristoff didn't know how to respond.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, things slowly began to fall back into place. Elsa resumed her queenly duties, most notably dealing with the unpleasantness of the Southern Isles and Weselton. By now, Hans' treachery had been exposed. His father came to Arendelle to speak with Elsa on the matter, offering reparations for all the damage his son had caused them. Dignitaries from Weselton came too offering the same. Elsa never wanted any communication with either two kingdoms ever again. She took their reparations, on the condition that they never contact Arendelle again. Personally, Elsa didn't hold anything against the Southern Isles, and Weselton for the actions of some of their men, but she still thought that breaking off all ties with them was the best decision. Not that she hadn't already severed trading ties with Weselton, this just further sealed the deal. During those few weeks, Elsa and Anna barely saw each other. When they did, it was just a simple 'hello' or 'good morning' and nothing more. Whenever Anna suggested that they sit down and talk, Elsa was always busy with something. It was happening again: Elsa was shutting her out. Was it all because of this adventure? If so, then they needed to talk about it more than ever. There was no need to let a traumatic experience separate them again.

One afternoon, Elsa was in her study, writing a letter to a kingdom about possibly opening a trade partnership with them. She was almost finished writing it, when a knock came at the door.

"Come in," Elsa said. It was probably Kai bringing her any new letters that had arrived.

When the door opened, Elsa saw Anna step inside. Elsa's eyes grew wide in surprise.

"Anna! What brings you here?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"Elsa, we need to talk. We need to talk about all this. I know it's been traumatic for us, but we got through it together, so we can get through the aftermath together. Please just take the time to talk to me. We promised each other that we would never keep anything from each other anymore.

Elsa stared at her sister, thinking over what she just said. It was true that Elsa promised that she would never keep any secrets from Anna. She would be open, always there to listen to her when she needed someone to talk too or a shoulder to cry on. Now here she was breaking that promise by cowering away, acting as if the past few months never happened. What a hypocrite.

Elsa smiled. "Of course, Anna. Why don't we go out onto the balcony, and talk," she suggested.

Anna followed Elsa out onto the balcony. It was a warm summer day, and the sun was shining brightly in the sky. There wasn't a single cloud to be seen, just pure blue skies all around them.

Anna and Elsa looked out from the balcony over the kingdom.

"This has been one long, hard trip, hasn't it?" Anna said, starting the conversation off.

"Yes it has," Elsa agreed.

"It seems like nothing in our lives has ever been easy," Anna pointed out.

Elsa sighed. "Unfortunately, that's true." It was even more heartbreaking for Elsa, seeing as how she still held herself responsible for a great deal of it.

"We've seen and done things on this journey that never in my wildest dreams thought was possible. Some of it was good, and some of it was bad. We went through so many hardships just to find this treasure, and in the end, it was all for nothing."

"I'm sorry, Anna…"

"At least, that's what I thought before," Anna started to explain.

"When we escaped the White Scar Caves, and watched them seal themselves up forever, I felt my heart break. I knew that we had done the right thing, but I just couldn't help but want some of the treasure. How selfish is that? After all that we went through, I still wanted to keep it. The price was just not worth it though. If we kept the treasure, it would only bring back bad memories of what we went through just to get it. Not to mention, all the people that died for it. Anything like that isn't worth keeping."

Elsa was glad to see that Anna had come to terms with their decision to seal the treasure up forever. She was very wise.

"But…the strangest thing is…even though we nearly lost our lives on dozens of occasions during these past few months, only to end up leaving the treasure behind, I don't regret it.

Elsa was surprised. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…I don't regret going on this journey with you, Elsa, because it taught me something. For years I believed that the treasure of King Nicholas was the most priceless thing in the world, but over the course of our journey, I learned that I already have something that is priceless. I have you. I have your love. You always stood by me, even when I was mad at you. When I was pinned down from gunfire, you came just in the nick of time. You protected me constantly. More importantly, I think this trip brought us closer. We've spent more time in these past few months than we've ever had. In a way, I'm grateful for it. Don't get me wrong, it could have gone a lot easier, and a lot less violent, but still it was the adventure of a lifetime.

Anna's words rung true to Elsa. They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and she would agree with that. There were many unpleasant things on this journey, but there were also many good ones as well. While she wouldn't go as far as to say that she enjoyed their quest to find the treasure, but she was thankful that she did it with Anna.

"Anna, how can you be so good to me? After all I've put you through," Elsa said, tears coming to her eyes.

"Like I told you on the fjord a year ago. It's because I love you," Anna answered.

"I love you too, Anna. More than you'll ever know," Elsa replied.

The sisters wrapped each other in a tight embrace, holding onto each other for several minutes. When they broke apart, they looked outside at the kingdom below, smiling happily.

"Hey, Elsa," Anna said.

Elsa turned to her sister. "Yes, Anna."

"What do you think about going to look for Blackbeard's treasure?" Anna joked.

Elsa smiled, while rolling her eyes. "Don't even think about it, Anna."

* * *

 **A/N: And there is the final chapter to our story. I hope the sister's journey proved to you all how powerful Anna and Elsa's bond is. However, I have decided to write an epilogue. I think you'll like what I have in store. Anyway, I won't say goodbye just yet, but I will let you know how thankful I am for all of you who have read and reviewed this story. I plan on continuing my five shot story "I Like What You're Selling" after this. In addition, I'm planning on reworking "An Icy Kiss" my lengthy Kristelsa fic. Till next time!**

 **PS: Just out of curiosity, what was your favorite moment in the story?**


	34. Epilogue

Chapter 34:

Epilogue

* * *

12 Years Later

"You're never going to catch me!" Violet cried, running up a flight of stairs.

"We'll see about that!" Erik yelled back. Anna and Kristoff's children, 12 year old Erik, and 9 year old Violet, were in the middle of playing a game of tag. At the moment, Erik was it, and he was hot in pursuit of his younger sister. Violet rounded a corner, nearly tripping in the process. When Erik did the same, he found that his sister was gone. She has to be somewhere, he thought to himself. Maybe she's hiding in one of these rooms.

Erik saw that one of the doors to the rooms was open, but it wasn't just any room. It was Auntie Elsa's room. One of the few places they weren't allowed to enter without permission. Erik eased the door open with his hand, slowly stepping inside. At the moment, there didn't appear to be anyone in the room, but he knew that Violet had to be in here. "Violet!" he whispered. "Violet! Where are you!"

Erik walked over to a large wardrobe at the other side of the room. He opened the doors, looking inside. Unfortunately, Violet wasn't inside, but he did see something else that caught his attention. On one of the shelves in the wardrobe, he saw a stack of papers with handwriting on them. He picked it up, and looked at what was written on the cover: _"The Price of Love."_

Erik flipped open to the next page, his eyes gazing over what was written.

 _"After escaping from Hans and the Duke again, we continued our journey to the Dover Mansion in France. I was pretty eager to get there, especially after all that we endured in the weeks since we left Arendelle looking for the treasure. I can honestly say that getting shot at, sprayed with fire, and hunted by a crazed man hasn't been very ideal."_

"What in the world?" Erik said in disbelief.

From behind him, Violet crawled out from under the bed, looking annoyed.

"Wow! You're really bad at this!" she said. "Come on, let's get out of here before Auntie Elsa catches us."

"Hold on a second, Violet, listen to this," Erik said. He had been reading more of what he found, only to find that it got more exciting with every page.

"It was a magnificent sight, alright. The long lost treasure of King Nicholas was even greater than any of us could imagine. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of our inheritance, the reason we went on this quest, and of course, the cause of all our problems."

"What do you think of it?" Erik asked.

"I don't know. Who's King Nicholas?" Violet asked.

"I don't know, but it seems like he's related to us. Check out this passage; Auntie Elsa talks about mom getting drugged by some guy named Hans, and being forced to attack her.

Violet read over the passage, her eyes growing wider as she did. "Mom tried to hurt Auntie Elsa! Why?"

"There you two are!" said a voice from behind them.

Erik and Violet spun around, Erik seizing the stack of papers, and hiding them behind his back.

Anna and Elsa walked into the room, both of them looking concerned.

"Why are you in Auntie Elsa's room?" Anna asked.

"Um…" Erik tried to think of an excuse, but nothing could come to mind.

"And why are you going through my wardrobe?" Elsa asked. She quickly noticed that Erik was hiding something.

"What have you got there, Erik?" she asked.

The jig was up. There was no point in trying to play innocent.

Erik sighed, taking the stack of papers out from behind him.

"I was looking through your wardrobe, and I found this," he said.

Elsa's eyes widened. She took the stack of papers from him, flipping through the pages. "Did you read any of it?" she asked, looking even more concerned.

"A little. It was interesting," Erik confessed. "Who is King Nicholas?" he found himself asking.

"And who are Hans and the Duke?" Violet piped in.

Anna and Elsa looked at each other with uncertainty. Well, the cat was out of the bag on this one.

"Do you want to tell them or should I?" Anna asked.

"Let's both tell them. If you think they're old enough to know the truth," Elsa said.

"I think so."

"What are you two talking about?" Erik asked.

Elsa cleared her throat. "Erik, Violet, this is a manuscript I've been working on. It's a true account of a journey that your mother and I took twelve years ago. We were looking for the long lost treasure of King Nicholas, our ancestor."

For the next ten minutes, Anna and Elsa gave a quick overview of their journey, talking about their numerous battles with Hans and the Duke, their encounter with Edward, Anna being drugged, and the many men that died during their quest.

Erik and Violet were in awe at their tale. They never imagined that their mother, and their aunt actually did such incredible things.

"So you're saying that you guys were actually shot at by dozens of guys twice your size?" Erik asked.

"Yep, and not to mention they had a machine that sprayed us with fire," Elsa added.

"And you guys didn't keep any of the treasure?" Violet asked.

"No, sweetie, we didn't," Anna said.

"Why not?"

Before she could answer, Elsa stepped in. "Hey, I got an idea: what do you say we go out to the fields and have a picnic? It's a beautiful day, and there's no point in wasting it indoors," Elsa suggested.

"But wait! I have so many more questions! Mom, how did you learn to shoot a gun so well? Can you teach me? And Auntie Elsa, do you still have the map?

Anna and Elsa laughed. "Tell you what, if you really want to hear the rest of the story, go downstairs, and tell the chefs to prepare some sandwhiches for us. Your father should be around in the courtyard. Go invite him to come along with us. I promise we'll answer all of your questions soon," Elsa said.

"Ok," Erik and Violet said in unison.

The two ran out of the room, racing downstairs, and leaving Anna and Elsa to themselves.

"So you're writing a book about our adventure?" Anna asked.

Elsa sighed. "I just thought it would make an interesting read, that's all," she said.

"Well, those two are definitely interested, alright. They're already swarming us with questions. Do you really think we should tell them everything?"

Elsa looked at the manuscript in her hands. The mere sight of it brought back a flood of memories from their adventure. Even though there were bad times, and they didn't bring back any treasure, she still believed that the journey taught her and Anna that they already had the greatest treasure of all: love.

"I do," Elsa said. "After all, it's a story about us. What could be better than that?"

Anna smiled. "Well, let's head on down there. We can't keep our adoring public waiting."

Elsa laughed. "I'll be right there. Just let me take care of a few things in here."

"Ok. See you down there!" Anna called.

When she was gone, Elsa placed the manuscript back into her wardrobe. Next to it, was a photograph of her and Anna taken twelve years ago.

Elsa smiled as she looked at the picture. "The greatest treasure of all," she said.

* * *

 **A/N: And so concludes our tale. Wow! It's been a long ride! Thank you all who read and reviewed this story. I really appreciate your kind words, and critiques. The next chapter of the five shot "I Like What You're Selling" should be up soon. I'm also in the process of reworking "An Icy Kiss." In addition, a brand new story about Kristoff's real family is also on the horizon, but that will be awhile from now. Take care!**


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